Head Start Eligibility Requirements
Children are eligible to participate in Head Start if they are from low-income families or if their families are eligible for public assistance. The Head Start Act establishes income eligibility for participation in Head Start Programs based on the poverty guidelines updated annually in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Community Action under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). The 2005 Family Income Guidelines below were published in the Federal Register on February 18, 2005 (Vol. 70, No. 33, pp. 8983-8375). Please refer to the chart to determine eligibility.
