Child Development
Head Start is a federally funded comprehensive child development program that serves children prenatal to age five who are in families earning income at or below the federal poverty level. Head Start actually consists of two programs: Head Start (serving families with children ages three and four) and Early Head Start (serving children prenatal to age three, pregnant women, and their families).
Funding goes directly from the federal government (Department of Health and Human Services, DHHS) to local grantees. The federal government provides 80 percent of the annual cost to operate the program, and the remaining 20 percent must be generated locally.
Head Start services are provided in 18 counties through a network of 21 Child Development Centers (CDCs).
