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Overview
The Head Start program is available for children from low-income families between up to 5 years old, including those with special needs. Early Head Start is for children up to 3 years old; Head Start is for children 3-5 years old.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- meet the 100 percent threshold for income poverty guidelines
- Refer only to the "100% of Poverty" column for income eligibility
- work at least 20 hours per week; or enrolled in school and/or a job training program
Fees
There is no cost to the parent
Things To Consider
- See a list of Head Start locations
- Hours for all locations are 7 AM to 5:30 PM
- After care is not available at any Head Start sites
Benefits
- Classrooms have an excellent teacher to child ratio: 1 teacher to 10 children in Head Start; and 1 caregiver to 4 infants/toddlers in Early Head Start
- Staff members screen children to determine their overall level of development, and make ongoing assessments to monitor each child's progress
- Each child is provided with experiences that maximize his or her total development
- Head Start and Early Head Start is available to children with special needs
How To
- Gather the following information:
- Child's information, such as name, birthdate, language spoken at home, disability status
- Family information, such as mother and father's names, hours worked, address, phone numbers, marital status, income, public assistance status
- Complete the Head Start Application (English) | Solicitud de Head Start (Spanish)
What's Next
A representative from your closest Head Start location will contact you by phone or letter regarding your application and availability.