What is Head Start? Comprehensive Services for Young Children

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Head Start is a federal program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), specifically the Office of Head Start (OHS) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).

Launched in 1965, Head Start’s mission is to promote school readiness among young children, from birth to age five, from families with low incomes.

Head Start offers more than traditional preschool education. It uses a comprehensive approach supporting the “whole child” and their family through three essential pillars:

• Early Learning and Development: Fostering cognitive, social, and emotional growth through tailored educational experiences.
• Health and Nutrition: Ensuring children receive necessary health screenings, nutritious meals, dental care, and mental health support.
• Family Well-being and Engagement: Partnering with parents and caregivers, supporting their goals, and strengthening the family unit.

This integrated strategy recognizes that a child’s ability to learn and thrive connects deeply to their health, nutrition, and family stability.

Head Start operates nationwide in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, several U.S. territories, and numerous Tribal nations. Annually, these programs serve over a million children and their families at no cost to eligible participants. Services are administered locally, allowing customization to each community’s unique needs.

A Legacy of Opportunity: The Story of Head Start

Head Start’s origins are deeply rooted in the social reforms of the 1960s. It was established in 1965 as a key component of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty” and his vision for a “Great Society”. The program’s creation was influenced by research highlighting poverty’s effects on children’s development and the potential impact of early intervention and education.

Responding to President Johnson’s call, Sargent Shriver, then head of the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), assembled experts in child development, psychology, health, and education. This panel, including pediatrician Dr. Robert Cooke and psychologist Dr. Edward Zigler, created the blueprint for Head Start.

Initially launched as an eight-week summer demonstration project in 1965, “Project Head Start” aimed to provide preschool children from low-income families with comprehensive support to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs. The program was met with enthusiasm and quickly expanded, authorized by Congress the following year as a year-round program.

A core principle established early was that programs should be culturally responsive and involve the community, including required contributions of volunteer time or donations.

Over subsequent decades, Head Start has continuously evolved, adapting to new research findings, identified needs, and changing societal contexts. Key milestones include:

1969: Administrative oversight transferred from the OEO to the Office of Child Development within the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now HHS) under the Nixon Administration.

1972: A landmark mandate required that at least 10% of Head Start enrollment nationwide be available to children with disabilities. This crucial provision for inclusion remains in effect today.

1975: The first Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) were published, establishing formal regulations and quality expectations for all programs. This marked a significant step towards greater formalization and standardization.

1977: Under the Carter administration, Head Start began implementing bilingual and bicultural programs in numerous states, recognizing the linguistic diversity of families served.

1984: The program’s budget surpassed $1 billion under the Reagan administration, reflecting its growing scale and reach.

1994-1995: Responding to research on the critical importance of development during the first three years of life, Congress authorized the creation of Early Head Start under the Clinton administration. The first grants were awarded in 1995, expanding comprehensive services to pregnant women, infants, and toddlers from birth to age three. This expansion significantly broadened Head Start’s scope.

1998: Head Start was reauthorized to expand options for full-day and full-year services, better meeting working families’ needs.

2007: The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act, signed under the George W. Bush administration, marked the most recent major reauthorization. It introduced provisions aimed at strengthening program quality, including higher qualifications for teaching staff, requirements for aligning Head Start school readiness goals with state early learning standards, increased program monitoring, and the establishment of the Designation Renewal System (DRS). The DRS moved programs to five-year grant cycles, requiring programs that fail to meet certain quality benchmarks to compete for continued funding.

Ongoing Refinement: Head Start has continued to receive support and undergo refinement under subsequent administrations. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 under the Obama administration added over 64,000 enrollment slots. Federal funding saw increases during the Trump administration. Recent updates to the HSPPS under the Biden administration focus on stabilizing the workforce through improved compensation and benefits, strengthening mental health supports, and enhancing overall program quality.

Since its inception in 1965, Head Start has served more than 38 million children and their families, evolving from an eight-week experiment into a comprehensive, multi-faceted national program.

Who Can Benefit from Head Start?

Head Start and Early Head Start programs serve young children and families facing significant challenges, primarily those with low incomes. Eligibility is determined based on several key criteria:

Age: Programs serve children from birth up to compulsory school age. Early Head Start specifically includes pregnant women and expectant families.

Income: A primary criterion is family income at or below the federal poverty guidelines established by HHS. Programs verify income during the application process. Recognizing the burden of high housing costs in some areas, recent regulations allow programs to adjust a family’s gross income calculation to account for excessive housing costs when determining eligibility.

Receipt of Public Assistance: Families are eligible if they receive certain public benefits, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Categorical Eligibility: Certain circumstances automatically qualify a child for Head Start, regardless of family income. This includes children in the foster care system or experiencing homelessness. This prioritization reflects an understanding that children in these situations face extreme vulnerability and benefit greatly from comprehensive support.

It’s important to distinguish between the two main components of the program:

Many local agencies operate both Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

Beyond the main programs, Head Start offers specialized services tailored to specific populations:

Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS): These programs serve children from birth to age five whose families engage in agricultural work, often involving migration. MSHS programs are designed to be flexible to accommodate these families’ unique circumstances. Recent regulatory changes provide increased flexibility in eligibility determination and selection processes for MSHS programs. OHS also submits periodic reports to Congress specifically on the MSHS program.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Head Start: These programs are designed specifically for AIAN children and communities, incorporating culturally and linguistically appropriate practices. Specific grant funding opportunities exist for AIAN Head Start expansion, and OHS reports to Congress on AIAN Head Start facilities. Similar to MSHS, recent rules offer greater flexibility in eligibility and selection for AIAN programs.

While the program primarily targets families meeting specific eligibility criteria, Head Start regulations allow programs to enroll a limited percentage of children (generally up to 10%, though waivers are possible) whose families have incomes above the poverty guidelines but who could still benefit from the services.

Despite broad eligibility criteria designed to reach many vulnerable families, federal funding typically doesn’t cover services for all eligible children. Consequently, many programs maintain waiting lists. Local programs establish selection criteria to prioritize enrollment based on community needs when slots become available. Programs are also required by recent regulations to actively identify and, where possible, resolve barriers that might prevent eligible families from enrolling or attending regularly.

More Than Just Preschool: Head Start’s Comprehensive Support

The defining characteristic of Head Start is its comprehensive approach to child development and family support. The program operates on the principle that children’s readiness for school is influenced by health, nutrition, emotional well-being, and family stability. Services extend far beyond traditional classroom activities, aiming to nurture the whole child within their family and community context.

This philosophy is operationalized through specific, mandated activities and supports detailed in the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), ensuring consistency in services nationwide. These comprehensive services fall into three interconnected areas:

Nurturing Young Minds: Early Learning and Development

The primary educational goal of Head Start is to enhance children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development, laying the groundwork for success in school and beyond.

Individualized Learning: Teachers facilitate learning experiences tailored to each child’s changing needs, abilities, and interests. Learning occurs through a blend of planned and spontaneous instruction, positive and nurturing relationships with adults, and purposeful play.

Rich Learning Environments: Programs create welcoming, safe, and well-organized indoor and outdoor environments that encourage exploration, creativity, and active learning. Curricula and activities are designed to be engaging, promoting learning through play, creative expression, and guided experiences.

Programs incorporate the cultural and language heritage of each child and family in relevant ways, fostering a sense of belonging and supporting dual language learners.

Focus on Key Developmental Domains: Educational activities target growth across five crucial domains identified in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework:

• Approaches to Learning
• Social and Emotional Development
• Language and Literacy
• Cognition (including foundational concepts in mathematics and science)
• Physical Development

Research indicates that children participating in Head Start demonstrate progress in these areas, particularly in skills like letter-word knowledge, receptive vocabulary, and early math.

Ongoing Assessment: Programs use ongoing screening and assessment tools to monitor children’s development and learning progress. This information helps tailor instruction and identify children who may need additional support. Programs collaborate with parents and community agencies if further assessment or specialized services are needed.

Supporting Children with Disabilities: Head Start has a long-standing commitment to serving children with disabilities. Programs provide inclusive services, build upon children’s strengths, and collaborate with local agencies to ensure children receive necessary early intervention or special education services as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Promoting Healthy Futures: Health, Nutrition, and Mental Wellness

Recognizing that healthy children learn better, Head Start places strong emphasis on physical and mental health, nutrition, and safety.

Health Screenings and Care: Children receive regular screenings for vision, hearing, dental health, nutritional status, and overall development. Programs play a crucial role in connecting families with ongoing medical, dental, and mental health care providers in the community and ensuring children receive necessary follow-up treatment and services.

Nutritious Meals: Programs provide nutritious meals and snacks (often breakfast, lunch, and a snack) that meet USDA guidelines, contributing significantly to children’s daily nutritional needs. Nutrition education is also often provided to families.

Healthy Practices: Programs promote healthy habits, such as regular toothbrushing after meals to support oral hygiene. Children also engage in regular indoor and outdoor physical activity to support physical development and well-being.

Safety: Ensuring a safe environment is paramount. This includes implementing safety practices in classrooms, playgrounds, and during transportation. Recent regulations specifically address environmental health by requiring programs to test for and address potential lead exposure in water and paint within Head Start facilities.

Mental Health and Wellness: Head Start provides crucial support for children’s social-emotional development and mental health. Recent updates to the HSPPS significantly strengthen these services. Programs must now:

• Utilize a multidisciplinary approach
• Ensure access to mental health consultation services at least monthly
• Facilitate proactive screening for children’s mental health needs
• Integrate mental health supports into family services
• Foster a program-wide culture of wellness

There is also clearer guidance on supporting children with challenging behaviors and limiting or prohibiting suspension and expulsion. Programs also work to build resilience, helping children and families heal from traumatic experiences or overwhelming situations. This increased focus reflects a growing understanding of the critical role social-emotional well-being plays in school readiness and lifelong success, particularly for children facing adversity.

Empowering Families: Partnership and Well-being

Head Start operates on a “two-generation” model, recognizing that children thrive when their families are strong and engaged. The program views parents and caregivers not just as recipients of services, but as essential partners and a child’s first and most important teachers. This deep commitment to family partnership is woven throughout the program:

Active Parent Engagement: Staff actively engage parents in their child’s learning and development, sharing information and insights, and providing parenting support and strategies. Programs support and strengthen parent-child relationships and encourage positive interactions. Special efforts are often made to engage fathers and other significant male caregivers. Effective, accessible communication methods are required in all interactions with families.

Supporting Family Goals: Recognizing that family stability directly impacts child outcomes, Head Start supports parents and families in identifying and achieving their own goals. This can include pursuing further education or job training, improving financial security, securing stable housing, or accessing other needed community services. Programs act as a bridge, connecting families to relevant resources and assistance programs. This focus on family well-being demonstrates that empowering parents contributes directly to children’s success.

Parent Leadership and Advocacy: Parents are encouraged to participate in program governance and decision-making, most notably through the Policy Council, where they have a formal leadership role. This structure ensures that parent perspectives are central to program operations. Parents are also supported in becoming lifelong advocates for their children’s education.

Career Pathways: Head Start often serves as an employment pipeline within communities. Approximately 25% of Head Start staff nationwide are former Head Start parents, offering a tangible career pathway in the field of early care and education.

Supporting Transitions: Programs assist children and families as they prepare for transitions, whether moving from Early Head Start to Head Start, or from Head Start into kindergarten or another early childhood program, ensuring continuity of support.

How Head Start Works in Your Community

While Head Start is a federally funded program with national standards, its services are delivered through a network of local organizations deeply embedded in the communities they serve. This federal-to-local structure allows for both consistency in quality and responsiveness to unique local needs.

Federal Funding and Oversight: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Office of Head Start (OHS), provides federal funding and establishes the overarching policies, regulations, and performance standards for the program. OHS also provides federal direction and operates a training and technical assistance (T/TA) system to support local programs.

Local Grant Recipients: Head Start services are delivered locally by approximately 1,600 to 1,700 different agencies, known as grant recipients. These grant recipients are diverse and can include:

• Public agencies (like school districts)
• Private non-profit organizations (including community-based and faith-based groups)
• Tribal councils operating AIAN Head Start programs
• In some cases, for-profit agencies that meet specific requirements

Tailoring Services to Community Needs: A key feature of the Head Start model is its emphasis on local adaptation. Each grant recipient is required to conduct a thorough community assessment at least every five years to identify the strengths, needs, and resources specific to their service area. The findings from this assessment inform program design, allowing agencies to tailor aspects like program settings, hours of operation, and specific service strategies to best meet the needs of local children and families. Recent rule changes aim to streamline the community assessment process while ensuring it effectively identifies barriers to enrollment and attendance.

Diverse Program Settings: To meet varying family needs and preferences, Head Start services are offered in several different settings:

• Center-based: Children attend classes in a dedicated Head Start center, similar to a traditional preschool setting. Programs must adhere to specific requirements regarding staff-to-child ratios and maximum group sizes. Many programs offer full-day and full-year services.
• Home-based: A trained home visitor meets regularly with the child and parent(s) in their home, providing child development activities and parenting support. Families in the home-based option also participate in periodic group socialization activities with other enrolled families.
• Family Child Care: Services are provided in the home of a certified family child care provider who meets Head Start standards and receives support from the Head Start agency.
• Combination Options: Some programs may offer models that combine elements of different settings.

Ensuring Quality: All Head Start grant recipients must adhere to the comprehensive Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS). These federal regulations, originally published in 1975 and periodically updated based on research and best practices (most recently revised in 2016 and updated in 2024), govern nearly every aspect of program operation, including education, health services, family engagement, human resources, fiscal management, and facilities.

OHS actively monitors programs through regular reviews to assess compliance with the HSPPS and overall program quality. HHS submits annual reports to Congress detailing the findings of this monitoring system. Furthermore, the Designation Renewal System (DRS), established following the 2007 reauthorization, requires programs operating under five-year grant periods to compete for continued funding if certain conditions related to quality or compliance are triggered.

These multiple layers of oversight—detailed standards, regular monitoring, and competitive renewal—demonstrate that program quality is not merely assumed but actively managed and enforced, pushing programs toward a culture of continuous improvement using data to inform practice.

Supporting the Workforce: Recognizing that high-quality staff are essential for delivering effective services, OHS and recent regulations emphasize supporting the Head Start workforce. This includes efforts and requirements related to improving staff qualifications, providing ongoing training and professional development, and, significantly, enhancing staff compensation (wages and benefits) and promoting staff wellness. These initiatives aim to attract and retain qualified professionals, stabilize the workforce, and ultimately enhance the quality of services for children and families.

Finding and Applying for Head Start Services

Accessing Head Start or Early Head Start services involves connecting with the local program serving your specific community. Here are the steps families can take:

Locate Local Programs: The easiest way to find nearby Head Start and Early Head Start programs is by using the official Head Start Program Locator tool available on the Head Start website. You can search by zip code, city, or state to find contact information for programs in your area. The main Head Start website, accessible via https://headstart.gov/ or through the Office of Head Start page, provides this locator and other resources.

Contact the Program Directly: Once you identify potential programs, contact them directly. Program staff can provide specific details about their services, eligibility requirements, and the application process for their agency. For general questions about Head Start, you can also contact the Office of Head Start directly via phone at 1-866-763-6481 or email at [email protected].

Understand the Application Process: Each local Head Start program manages its own enrollment process. Generally, you will need to complete an application form and provide documentation to verify eligibility, such as:

• Proof of your child’s age (like a birth certificate)
• Proof of family income (which could include pay stubs, tax forms, or documentation of public assistance like TANF or SNAP)

Programs may also ask for health or immunization records. Program staff understand that gathering documents can be challenging and aim to streamline enrollment processes to minimize the burden on families.

Because demand often exceeds available slots, programs use selection criteria, prioritizing families with the greatest need based on factors outlined in their community assessment and federal guidelines.

No Cost for Services: Head Start and Early Head Start services are provided completely free of charge to all eligible children and families who are enrolled.

Get Assistance: If you need help with the application process, ask the staff at the local Head Start program. Providing support to families, including navigating enrollment, is a key part of their role. The official Head Start website also offers resources for families on how to apply: https://headstart.gov/how-apply.

While finding and applying for Head Start requires initiative from families, numerous resources are available online and through local programs to help guide them through the process and connect them with these valuable comprehensive services.

Our articles make government information more accessible. Please consult a qualified professional for financial, legal, or health advice specific to your circumstances.