Head Start – Apply for Services
Income Eligibility Guidelines
To view the income eligibility guidelines for the Early Head Start and Head Start Program, click here.
The HHS Poverty Guidelines and Section 645 of the Head Start Act are used to determine income eligibility for participation in Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
Who is eligible?
- Children from birth to age five who are from families with incomes below the poverty guidelines
- Children from homeless families, and families receiving public assistance such as SNAP, TANF or SSI
- Foster children regardless of their foster family’s income
The poverty guidelines are adjusted for families of different sizes and may be used to determine financial eligibility for certain federal programs such as Head Start and Early Head Start services. The guidelines are issued each year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services. A single set of guidelines applies to the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. These guidelines may be used when determining a family’s eligibility for Head Start and Early Head Start services.
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This website is supported by Grant Number 06CH011558 from the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Neither the Administration for Children and Families nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of Community Council of South Central Texas, Inc. and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Head Start.