About Us

Head Start programs offer families support services and the chance to participate as full partners in their child's education. Parents can refer to these FAQs to learn more about the national program.

Office of Head Start administers grant funding and oversight to agencies that provide Head Start services in communities across the country. OHS also provides policy direction and training and technical assistance.

The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (ECQA Center) supports state and community leaders and their partners in the planning and implementation of rigorous approaches to quality in all early care and education settings for children from birth to school age.

The National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (NCPFCE) provides training and technical assistance (TTA) for Head Start staff who work with families. NCPFCE professional development activities reflect current evidence.

NCPMFO supports the dissemination of clear, consistent messages on Office of Head Start (OHS) priorities for the development and implementation of sound management systems and strong internal controls. 

The National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE) has been awarded to Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) in collaboration with the National Institute for Out-of-School Time (NIOST), the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), and Walter R. McDonald Associates (WRMA), Inc. The Center is administered by the Office of Child Care.

The new contract for the Office of Child Care's National Center on Tribal Early Childhood Development (NCTECD) was awarded to ICF International for FY2017–2021. NCTECD will support the implementation of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (CCDF) of 2014 by providing training and technical assistance (T/TA) to support tribal CCDFgrantees.

Established in 1965, Head Start promotes school readiness for children in low-income families by offering educational, nutritional, health, social, and other services. Since its inception, Head Start has served more than 33 million children, birth to age 5, and their families. In 2015, Head Start was funded to serve nearly one million children and pregnant women in centers, family homes, and in family child care homes in urban, suburban, and rural communities throughout the nation. 

The EHS-CC Partnerships program enhances and supports early learning settings to provide comprehensive and continuous services. It increases access to high-quality, full-day, full-year child care, including family child care, for low-income working families.

Established in 1965, Head Start promotes school readiness for children in low-income families by offering educational, nutritional, health, social, and other services. Since its inception, Head Start has served more than 32 million children, birth to age 5, and their families. In 2014, Head Start was funded to serve nearly one million children and pregnant women in centers, family homes, and in family child care homes in urban, suburban, and rural communities throughout the nation. (More on Head Start)