Head Start and Early Head Start: Who Gets In and How to Apply
Head Start is free, federally funded early learning for kids from birth to age 5. Some programs also serve pregnant women. It's not a voucher you take to a daycare. You enroll with a local program, and spots go first to the families who need them most. This guide covers who qualifies, how income gets counted, and how to get your child on the list.
AT A GLANCE
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Two programs, one application point
People say "Head Start" for both programs. They're different stages:
Early Head Start | Head Start Preschool | |
|---|---|---|
Who | Infants and toddlers under 3, plus pregnant women in many programs | Children at least 3 (or turning 3 by your district's school-entry cutoff) up to school age |
Settings offered | Centers, home visits or family child care, depending on the program | Centers, home visits or family child care, depending on the program |
Moving up | Eligibility is checked again when a child moves to Head Start Preschool | Usually lasts until kindergarten |
The Administration for Children and Families says more than half of Head Start children attend centers five days a week, for at least six hours a day. More than a third of Early Head Start children get home-based services, where a home visitor works with the parent and there are regular group sessions.
Migrant and Seasonal Head Start serves families whose income comes mainly from farm work. Tribal programs serve children from federally recognized tribes and their communities, and a Tribal program may enroll eligible-age children in its service area regardless of income.
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Who qualifies
The federal Head Start rules (45 CFR 1302.12) say a child or pregnant woman is eligible if any one of these is true:
Family income is at or below the federal poverty line.
The family gets public assistance, such as TANF, SSI or SNAP. A family that would likely qualify for public assistance if it didn't have child care also counts, and so do families getting TANF child-only payments.
The child is homeless. Head Start uses the McKinney-Vento Act definition, the same one public schools use for homeless students.
The child is in foster care.
If you fit one of these, income doesn't matter. A family getting SNAP qualifies even if a paycheck puts them a bit above the poverty line.
The 2026 poverty line
These are HHS's 2026 poverty guidelines. Head Start uses the contiguous-states figures for Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories too.
People in household | 48 states and DC | Alaska | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
2 | $21,640 | $27,050 | $24,890 |
3 | $27,320 | $34,150 | $31,420 |
4 | $33,000 | $41,250 | $37,950 |
5 | $38,680 | $48,350 | $44,480 |
6 | $44,360 | $55,450 | $51,010 |
For each person beyond 8, add $5,680 in the contiguous states.
Over the line? You might still get in
Programs have room for some families who don't meet those four tests:
Up to 35% of enrollment can go to families with incomes below 130% of the poverty line. For a family of 3, that's 130% of $27,320, or about $35,516 a year. The program must serve families who fully qualify first.
Up to 10% of enrollment can go to children who would benefit from Head Start, at any income.
At least 10% of each program's enrollment must be children with disabilities eligible for special education or early intervention under IDEA. Programs can't turn a child away because of a disability or health condition, however severe.
So if your income is just above the line, apply anyway. Whether you get a spot depends on the local waiting list.
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How income is counted
Head Start doesn't count income the way SNAP or Medicaid does. Some of the differences help families:
Only certain income counts: wages, business income, unemployment benefits, pensions or annuities, larger gifts, and military pay.
Public assistance and refundable tax credits don't count. That means SNAP, TANF and your EITC refund are left out.
Some military pay is excluded: hostile-fire or imminent-danger pay, and the basic allowance for housing (BAH).
High housing costs can lower your counted income. If your family spends more than 30% of gross income on housing, the program may subtract the amount over 30% before comparing you with the poverty line. Bring your lease and utility bills.
A big income change counts. If you lost a job or had hours cut, the program can look at your current situation instead of last year's tax return.
To verify income, staff use tax forms, pay stubs or other proof. If you don't have those, they can take a written statement from your employer. A self-employed parent can write their own statement. A family with no income can sign a declaration saying so.
Head Start rules say a program can't require age documents from a family if getting them would keep the child from enrolling.
The same flexibility applies to homelessness. A letter from a shelter, school or service agency works. So can your own signed statement, with staff describing your living situation in writing.
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What your child and family get
Programs are built around three areas. They look different from place to place, but the basics are the same nationwide:
Early learning: play-based learning, language and early literacy, early math and science, with screenings to track progress.
Health: breakfast, lunch and snacks; medical, dental, hearing, vision and behavioral screenings; tooth-brushing after meals; and help with mental health services when needed.
Family support: help connecting to community and federal assistance, parenting support, and help with goals around jobs, education, housing and money.
Programs either provide transportation or help families arrange it. Parents can join the Policy Council, which helps run the program.
Once you're in
A child who enrolls in Head Start Preschool stays eligible through the end of the next program year, even if family income goes up. Early Head Start children stay eligible as long as they're enrolled, but eligibility is checked again before moving to Head Start Preschool.
If your child is homeless, they can start attending for up to 90 days without immunization or other records, or longer if state licensing allows. Programs must also try to keep homeless and foster children enrolled even if they move out of the service area.
Attendance matters. Programs must contact you after repeated unexplained absences and work with you to fix barriers like transportation. If a child stops coming and the program can't get the family back, the spot is treated as vacant and goes to someone on the waiting list.
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How to apply
There's no single national application. Each local program runs its own enrollment.
Find programs near you. Use the Head Start Center Locator on headstart.gov and search by ZIP code, city or state. It lists each center's phone number.
Call the center. Ask whether they have openings for your child's age, which settings they offer, and their hours.
Complete the eligibility interview. Federal rules call for an interview in person or by phone if in-person isn't practical.
Ask to join the waiting list if it's full. Programs must rank the list by their published selection criteria, which weigh things like income, homelessness, foster care, age and disability.
Stay reachable. Programs must fill open slots within 30 days, so a call can come at any time of year.
Need help finding a program? The Office of Head Start help line is 1-866-763-6481, Monday through Friday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
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Before you call
☐ Your child's birth certificate or other proof of age, if you have it easily
☐ Last year's tax return or W-2s, or recent pay stubs for each working adult
☐ Your SNAP, TANF or SSI approval letter, if you get one of these
☐ Your lease or mortgage statement and recent utility bills (for the housing-cost adjustment)
☐ Foster care placement papers or a court order, if your child is in foster care
☐ A letter from a shelter, school or caseworker if you're homeless, or be ready to describe your situation
☐ Any IEP or IFSP, or the name of the early intervention provider, if your child has a disability or delay
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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More help
Related guides
Official sources
Last checked: October 30, 2026. Eligibility, enrollment and income rules come from 45 CFR Parts 1302 and 1305 as currently published. The poverty figures are HHS's 2026 guidelines. The 130% figure is our calculation from the 2026 guideline.
Local programs set their own selection criteria, hours and settings within federal rules. Check with the program near you for openings.
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