Head Start and Early Head Start provide free, high-quality early education, health, and family support to children from low-income families — from birth through age 5. Funded directly by the federal government and run by local agencies, the programs serve about a million children a year. They’re far more than day care: a child in Head Start gets early learning, health and dental screenings, nutritious meals, and a team that helps the whole family with goals like housing, employment, and education.
Best of all, Head Start is free for eligible families — there’s no tuition and no copay. For a working family priced out of preschool, that can be worth $10,000 or more a year in care and education a child would otherwise go without. This guide explains the two programs, who qualifies, what’s included, and how to find a program near you.
Head Start vs. Early Head Start
The two programs cover different ages, but share the same comprehensive approach:
- Early Head Start — serves pregnant women and infants and toddlers from birth to age 3. Includes prenatal support, home visits, and center-based or family child care, with a strong focus on early bonding, development, and parent coaching
- Head Start — serves children ages 3 to 5 (preschoolers). Center-based classrooms prepare children for kindergarten with early literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional learning
Some communities also run specialized versions: Migrant and Seasonal Head Start for the children of farmworker families, and American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start operated by tribes. Programs run on different schedules — some part-day, some full-day, some full school year, some year-round — depending on community need.
What’s Included
Head Start is “comprehensive,” meaning it supports the whole child and family, not just classroom time. Services typically include:
- Early education — a research-based curriculum and qualified teachers focused on school readiness
- Health, dental, and vision screenings — plus help connecting to a regular doctor, immunizations, and follow-up care
- Nutrition — healthy meals and snacks at the program, and nutrition education for families
- Services for children with disabilities — at least 10% of enrollment is reserved for children with disabilities, with individualized support
- Family support — a family advocate helps with goals like finding jobs, housing, adult education, and other benefits; many of the programs covered elsewhere on this site are routinely connected through Head Start
- Parent involvement and leadership — parents help shape the program and can serve on policy councils
Who Qualifies
Eligibility is primarily income-based, but several groups qualify automatically:
- Income at or below 100% of the federal poverty level — about $32,150 for a family of four in 2025
- Automatic (categorical) eligibility — families receiving TANF or SSI qualify regardless of the income calculation, as do foster children and children experiencing homelessness
- Some over-income slots — programs may fill up to 10% of slots with families above the income line, and may serve families up to 130% of poverty for a portion of enrollment, based on local need
- Age — birth to 3 for Early Head Start; 3 to 5 for Head Start
Unlike many benefits, Head Start eligibility doesn’t depend on a parent working or being in school — though working families often use it alongside a child care subsidy to cover a full work day.
A Worked Example
Tanya is a single mother of a 4-year-old, earning about $28,000 a year — below the poverty line for her household of two plus an infant. Private preschool in her area runs roughly $900 a month, which she can’t afford, so her son has had no early education.
She enrolls him in Head Start at no cost. He attends a full-day classroom, gets a dental screening that catches an early cavity, and eats breakfast and lunch there. Tanya’s family advocate also helps her apply for SNAP and a child care subsidy for the hours Head Start doesn’t cover. Her infant, meanwhile, is placed in Early Head Start, which sends a home visitor weekly. The cash value of the preschool alone — over $10,000 a year — is only part of what the family gains.
How to Find and Apply for a Program
Head Start is run by local agencies — community organizations, school districts, and tribes — that get federal grants directly, so you apply to the local program, not a state office.
- Use the Head Start Locator — search by address at headstart.gov/find-a-head-start-program (run by the federal Office of Head Start)
- Call 1-866-763-6481 — the Office of Head Start helpline can locate programs near you
- Call 2-1-1 — the United Way helpline connects you with local Head Start and other early-childhood services
- Apply directly to the local program — bring proof of income (or proof of TANF/SSI/foster/homeless status), your child’s birth certificate, and immunization records. Programs often have waiting lists, so apply early and to more than one if available
If the program is full, ask to be put on the waiting list and about priority categories (homelessness, foster care, children with disabilities), and look into state pre-K and child care subsidies in the meantime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Head Start really free? Yes. There’s no tuition or copay for eligible families. It’s funded by federal grants, not parent fees.
Do I have to be working or in school? No. Unlike a child care subsidy, Head Start doesn’t require a parent activity. Many families combine the two to cover a full work day.
Will applying affect my immigration status? No. Head Start is not considered in public-charge determinations, and a child’s eligibility is based on the family’s income and circumstances.
What if my child has a disability? Head Start reserves at least 10% of its slots for children with disabilities and provides individualized support, coordinating with early-intervention and special-education services.
Educational only. Head Start and Early Head Start income limits, schedules, and availability vary by local program and change annually. Confirm current details with your local Head Start program or at headstart.gov (1-866-763-6481).