Head Start and Early Head Start: Income Guidelines and Priority Categories

Head Start and Early Head Start are federally funded, free early childhood education programs serving pregnant women, infants, toddlers, and preschool children from birth to age five. Unlike state subsidy vouchers that require parents to pay copayments, Head Start programs provide completely free early learning, health screenings, and nutritional meals with zero out-of-pocket costs to enrolled families.

Understanding the distinction between income guidelines and categorical eligibility helps families access available classroom openings.

Early Head Start versus Head Start

The federal Head Start framework is divided into two distinct age programs:

• Early Head Start (EHS): Serves pregnant mothers, infants, and toddlers from birth through age two. Programs operate through center-based infant care or home-visiting models providing developmental coaching and newborn supplies.
• Head Start (Preschool): Serves three-year-old and four-year-old children in center-based classroom environments focused on early language, literacy, social development, and school readiness.

According to federal performance standards established by the Office of Head Start (OHS), programs provide full breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks adhering to federal nutritional standards, as well as vision, dental, and hearing screenings.

Compare these free programs against private center costs in our daycare cost by age guide.

Income guidelines and categorical eligibility

Under federal program regulations, eligibility is determined through two primary pathways:

• Income-based eligibility: Family income must fall at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines ($25,820 for a family of three, or $31,200 for a family of four). Grantees can also enroll up to 35% of children from families earning between 100% and 130% of the poverty line if lower-income community needs are met.
• Categorical eligibility: Families automatically qualify for Head Start regardless of their earned income if they participate in specific public benefit programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
• Special priority categories: Children in foster care and families experiencing homelessness (under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act definition) are categorically eligible with top admissions priority.

Federal regulations also require that at least 10% of a program's total enrollment slots be reserved for children with disabilities who have an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Program hours and wraparound care needs

While Head Start delivers high-quality early childhood programming, working parents frequently encounter scheduling hurdles:

• Part-day schedules: Many traditional Head Start preschool classrooms operate on half-day schedules (3.5 to 4 hours per day) or standard school calendars (8:30 AM to 2:30 PM for 9 months), closing for summer break.
• Full-working-day classrooms: An increasing number of grantees braid Head Start funding with state CCDF childcare subsidy vouchers to provide full-day coverage (7:30 AM to 5:30 PM year-round) for parents working full time.

Parents needing extended hours should inquire with local grantees about full-day blended classrooms or state childcare voucher pairings. Review our guide on how to budget for daycare and test your local options using the childcare calculator.