Head Start Services

Head Start programs promote the school readiness of infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children from low-income families. Programs provide services in a variety of settings including centers, family child care, and children’s own home. Head Start programs also engage parents or other key family members in positive and goal-oriented relationships. Parents participate in leadership roles, including governance of program operations.

Head Start programs support children's growth in a positive learning environment through a variety of services:

• Early learning and development: Children's readiness for school and beyond is fostered through individualized learning experiences. Through relationships with adults, play, and planned and spontaneous instruction, children grow in many aspects of development. This includes social skills, emotional well-being, language and literacy skills, mathematics, and science concepts. Early learning experiences include cultural and language diversity, which are integrated with equality and equity. Parents, including grandparents, foster parents, and other primary caregivers, are recognized as children’s first and most influential teachers. Their knowledge of their children is central to each child’s individualized approach. Additionally, Head Start programs work with families, school districts, and other entities to facilitate a smooth transition to kindergarten for each child.
• Health: For early learning opportunities that require children to fully explore and experience their environment, health and physical development are crucial. All children receive health screenings and nutritious meals, and programs connect families with medical, dental, and mental health services to ensure children are receiving the services they need. Head Start programs provide safe and healthy learning experiences indoors and outdoors. Children receive support for building resiliency to cope with the adverse effect of trauma. Families also receive mental health consultation focused on children's needs.
• Family well-being: Program services support family well-being and achieving family goals, such as housing stability, continued education, and financial security. Programs support and strengthen parent-child relationships and engage families in the learning and development of their child.

Head Start programs are available at no cost to children ages birth to 5 from low-income families. Families and children experiencing homelessness and children in the foster care system are also eligible. Head Start services are available to children with disabilities and other special needs. Programs may provide transportation to the centers so enrolled children can participate regularly. Head Start programming is responsive to the ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage of each child and family.

The Head Start program offers several types of services, reflecting the needs of specific populations within the community.

Head Start

Head Start programs promote the school readiness of children ages 3 to 5. Most of these programs are based in centers. In other programs, children and families may receive services from educators and family service staff who regularly make home visits.

Early Head Start (EHS)

Infants, toddlers, and pregnant women are served through Early Head Start programs. Early Head Start programs are available to the family until the child turns 3 years old and is ready to transition into Head Start or another pre-K program. Services to pregnant mothers and families, including prenatal support and follow-up, are also provided by Early Head Start programs. Many Early Head Start programs are provided in a child’s own home through weekly home visits that support the child’s development and family’s own goals. Other Early Head Start programs are in centers that provide part-day or full-day programming for children. Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships are programs that are dedicated to offering Early Head Start services to eligible families within the child care system.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Head Start

Head Start programs were launched in 34 AIAN communities in the summer of 1965. Today, nearly 41,000 children of AIAN heritage are served in both AIAN and non-tribal programs. Head Start and Early Head Start programs honor the rich cultural heritage of our AIAN children, families, and communities. Based on the needs of local communities, programs offer traditional language and cultural practices to provide high-quality services to young children and their families.

Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS)

Migrant and Seasonal programs provide specific services to children whose families are engaged in agricultural labor. MSHS programs work with both migrant farmworker families, who migrate to a number of geographic locations annually, and with seasonal farmworker families who are permanently settled in their communities but continue to do agricultural work. MSHS programs have served children from birth to age 5 since 1967 and are currently funded to serve over 30,000 children.

Head Start programs deliver services through about 1,700 agencies in local communities. Non-profit organizations, schools, and community action agencies run most Head Start programs. They provide services to more than a million children every year, in every U.S. state and territory.