If you’ve heard about Head Start but don’t know what it is, don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Essentially, Head Start is a free early learning program for young children that helps them get ready for kindergarten and supports families with health, nutrition, and other services they may need.
Head Start, which includes Head Start preschool and Early Head Start, is free for income-eligible families. Programs serve pregnant moms and children from birth up to age 5.
Your family may qualify if your household income falls within certain guidelines or if your child meets other eligibility requirements. Many families are surprised to learn they may be eligible, so we encourage everyone to apply.
Since 1981, Options for Learning has provided early learning programs, including Head Start and Early Head Start, for children and families in the San Gabriel Valley of California.
Since we know that these programs can be confusing, we’re here to break them down in a simple way.
Keep reading to learn more about:
What is Head Start?
Head Start was created by the U.S. federal government in 1965 to help children and families thrive by providing free early learning, health, nutrition, and family support services. For more than 60 years, it has helped millions of children build a strong foundation for school and life.
Today, Head Start is divided into two programs: Head Start Preschool (which serves ages 3 to 5) and Early Head Start (which supports infants and toddlers under age 3 as well as pregnant women and their families).
Many states, including California, have both center-based and home-based options available for families
Each Head Start program follows four main pillars:
-
Education: Working with children to build the skills and self-confidence necessary for success in kindergarten and beyond
-
Health: Providing dental, health, and mental health services and referrals, as well as healthy eating based on current nutritional best practices
-
Parent engagement and support: Believing that parents are a child’s first and most important teachers
-
Local design: Acknowledging that each community has different strengths, resources, and challenges, each program is designed to reflect the traditions, priorities, and cultures of its community
Is there a specific curriculum for Head Start?
There is no universal curriculum for Head Start programs, as local state agencies and providers use their own research-based early childhood curricula.
However, the Office of Head Start does set mandatory federal standards and frameworks that all programs must meet, including the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework.
The Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework, also known as ELOF, presents five broad areas of early learning, referred to as central domains, that the curriculum should adhere to. The central domains are:
-
Approaches to Learning
-
Focuses on how children learn and refers to the skills and behaviors that children use to engage in learning
-
-
Social and emotional development
-
Positive social and emotional development in the early years provides a critical foundation for lifelong development and learning
-
-
Language and literacy
-
Communication is fundamental to the human experience, and language and literacy are essential to children’s learning
-
-
Cognition
-
Includes reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and thinking skills that help young children understand and organize their world
-
For preschoolers, this evolves into complex mathematical thinking and scientific reasoning
-
-
Perceptual, motor, and physical development
-
Foundational to children’s learning in all areas because it permits children to fully explore and function in their environment
-
Why is Head Start so important?
Head Start is now a staple in communities across the nation.
Research has shown that children in Head Start programs gain numerous benefits that could last a lifetime and extend to future generations.
The National Head Start Association highlights several positive outcomes associated with Head Start participation, including:
-
Head Start children have better social skills, impulse control, and approaches to learning, as well as a decrease in problem behaviors
-
When families participate in Head Start, children are 93% less likely to end up in foster care
-
Children in Early Head Start are more likely to be immunized and have access to services for children with disabilities
-
Head Start children have a higher likelihood of graduating high school, attending college, and receiving a post-secondary degree, license, or certification
-
Head Start improves adult health status for graduates
-
Early Head Start parents offer more stimulating home environments
-
Head Start parents are more likely to increase their educational levels
In California, more than 70,000 children are enrolled in Head Start programs or services, which include health and behavioral screenings, dental services, parent engagement opportunities, meals, and transportation.
“If Head Start funding is cut or eliminated, those families essentially enter the waiting list for our state systems, which are already oversubscribed and under-resourced,” Laura Pryor, research director at the California Budget and Policy Center, shared in a 2026 interview with EdSource regarding a series of threats to funding. “It really just exacerbates the existing challenges we have with state investment in childcare.”
Every Head Start program, whether center-based, Family Child Care Home, or home-based, has proven beneficial, especially for low-income families seeking early learning support and resources.
As a Head Start and Early Head Start provider in California, Options for Learning supports eligible children and families with comprehensive services that promote healthy development, family engagement, and school readiness.
How do you know if you qualify for Head Start?
At Options for Learning, we encourage families to apply for Head Start! Many families are surprised to learn they may be eligible. Eligibility is determined through income guidelines and/or other eligibility requirements.
Families may qualify for Head Start if their household income is at or below the federal poverty guidelines.
Additionally, families or pregnant women could also qualify if they:
-
Receive public assistance (TANF, SSI, or SNAP)
-
Have a child in foster care
-
Are experiencing homelessness
-
Have a child with a diagnosed disability
What you should do next
If you qualify for Head Start programs, families are encouraged to scroll through an online locator to find programs and services in their area.
For families looking for Head Start resources in the San Gabriel Valley, Options for Learning has offered Head Start Preschool programs and Head Start and Early Head Start home-based programs since the 2000s.
Options for Learning believes that children learn best when they are actively engaged, deeply curious, and empowered to explore the world around them.
To learn more about Options for Learning’s Head Start programs or see if you qualify, fill out a brief form to connect with a member of our team to explore your options.
Frequently asked questions
What if my income level is higher than the Poverty Guidelines?
Even if your income is higher than the Poverty Guidelines, Head Start’s website states that programs may enroll up to 10% of children from families that have incomes above the Poverty Guidelines.
Meanwhile, programs may also serve up to an additional 35% of children from families whose incomes are above the Poverty Guidelines, but below 130% of the poverty line, if the program can ensure certain conditions are met.
To see if you would qualify, reach out to your local Head Start program for more information.
What happens if my child is ineligible for Head Start services?
If your child is ineligible, there may still be other childcare and early learning programs available to your family. Options for Learning and other community organizations can help connect families with resources and programs that may meet their needs. Families can also visit ChildCare.gov to explore affordable childcare services and programs in their area.
Do Head Start programs enroll children with disabilities?
Yes. In fact, Head Start requires that at least 10% of enrolled children have disabilities.
