Who is Eligible for Head Start?

Children are eligible for our program

• if they were at least three years of age on or before August 31 of the current school year
• if they are a foster child
• if they receive TANF or SSI funds
• if they have a professionally diagnosed disability
• or if their family earned less than the federal poverty family income guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Upon receipt of a child enrollment application form, a child is considered enrolled after eligibility by the above guidelines has been established and when an official acceptance to the program letter is sent to the family. Services to the family will begin immediately upon the parent’s receipt of the acceptance letter. Classroom services to the child will begin as soon as the family completes the necessary procedures/paperwork with the family services program staff and the teacher.

If a child is eligible for services but the program has no current openings available, a waiting list will be established. A current numerical value system is used to rate the applications submitted for possible enrollment that have been placed on the waiting list. This system is used in order to more adequately reflect the overall financial and family situations and to weight these risk factors of our applicants so as to enroll the child with the most need first. Each child will continue to be considered enrolled until a child withdrawal form is signed by the parent/guardian and filed by the program or the child is eligible for kindergarten services.