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.
