Head Start and Early Head Start

Head Start and Early Head Start programs are free, federally funded programs designed to promote school readiness for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers from families that meet income eligibility requirements.

• Early Head Start programs support pregnant women and families with children younger than age 3 years. Head Start programs serve children between 3 and 5 years old.

• These programs are run by local nonprofit organizations, community action agencies, and school districts.

• Head Start programs also support children with identified needs (such as physical and developmental delays), children in foster care, and children experiencing homelessness.

• The programs encourage family involvement through regular visits to the child’s home and provide opportunities for families to volunteer in the programs and participate in special activities to support their child’s learning.

• Head Start and Early Head Start programs link children and families to other services in the community, such as free medical and dental care services.

To learn more about the services that Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide to eligible children and families, visit the Office of Head Start website.

To learn more about Head Start and Early Head Start programs in your state or territory, select your state or territory on the “See Your State’s Resources” page and review the “Child Development and Early Learning” tab.

Are Head Start and Early Head Start Programs Licensed?

Head Start and Early Head Start programs must follow federal child care requirements. In addition to meeting the federal requirements, these programs may be required to be licensed by your state or territory.

Why Choose a Head Start or Early Head Start Program?

Families choose Head Start and Early Head Start programs for a variety of reasons, including the following:

• If families are eligible, they receive free high-quality, comprehensive early childhood services.

• Families may appreciate the additional federal oversight, such as higher teacher education and training requirements.

How Do I Find and Choose a Head Start Program?

To find a Head Start or Early Head Start program near you, visit the online Head Start program locator. Once you find a local program, you can contact the program to learn more about how to apply for Head Start or Early Head Start services.

Since Head Start programs typically operate in a center-based setting, use "Look, Listen, and Ask: Tips for Choosing a Quality Child Care Center" as a guide to help choose a Head Start program.

Responding to Challenging Behaviors

Many times parents are not sure how to respond to their child’s challenging or unpredictable behaviors. Often, just when you feel that you’ve finally figured everything out and settled into a routine, something changes and it gets challenging again.

These changes may just be a normal part of a child’s growth and development, but they can still feel frustrating and overwhelming. For example, you might be struggling with your child’s crying or temper tantrums, communication, discipline, eating, toileting, sleeping, or getting along with others. Behaviors can also be influenced by an environment that is stressful or unhealthy, a major change or disruption in the family, or stresses experienced by the child, parents, or caregivers. These issues may not be as easy to address, and can feel overwhelming for both children and parents.

All of a child’s behaviors have meaning and communicate messages. Adults recognize some of these communications right away—like a toothless grin. Other behaviors may be confusing, and you can only take a guess at what they might mean. A child’s behavior might do any of the following:

• Show how they feel about themselves

• Communicate their needs and feelings

• Establish important connections with the people around them

• Be part of exploring the world and how the world responds to them

Children, especially young children, are learning new ways to communicate all the time. At a young age, children don’t always have the skills to tell us what they want, need, or feel. When this happens, children are likely to behave in ways that are confusing or challenging to their parents and caregivers. It is up to us to try to understand children’s behaviors and help them learn to express their feelings in appropriate ways.

Your child care provider can be a good partner and source of support when you are finding your child’s behavior challenging. A trusted provider can work with you to handle challenging behaviors in constructive ways. You are more likely to be successful if you and your provider are handling things the same way.

Talk with your provider about changes in your child and any concerns. Offer your own opinions and ask questions, and find out what your provider is seeing when you’re not there. When you’re ready, you can work together to create a plan to address the behavior.

The following list has some valuable tools that may give you new ideas for building a positive relationship with your child and responding to challenging behaviors. Though information can be a useful guide, remember that your child's path is unique and your parenting journey will be unique as well.

Healthy Bodies - Teenagers (15-17 years of age)

Encourage your teen to get enough sleep and physical activity, and to eat healthy, balanced meals. Make sure your teen gets 1 hour or more of physical activity each day.

• Keep television sets out of your teen’s bedroom. Set limits for screen time, including cell phones, computers, video games, and other devices and develop a family media plan.external icon

• Encourage your teen to have meals with the family. Eating together will help your teen make better choices about the foods she eats, promote healthy weight, and give family members time to talk with each other. In addition, a teen who eats meals with the family is more likely to get better grades and less likely to smoke, drink, or use drugs, and also less likely to get into fights, think about suicide, or engage in sexual activity.

• Make sure your child gets the recommended amount of sleep each night: For teenagers 13-18 years, 8–10 hours per 24 hours (including naps)

Healthy Bodies - Young Teens (12-14 years of age)

• Encourage your teen to be physically active. She might join a team sport or take up an individual sport. Helping with household tasks such as mowing the lawn, walking the dog, or washing the car also will keep your teen active.

• Meal time is very important for families. Eating together helps teens make better choices about the foods they eat, promotes healthy weight, and gives your family members time to talk with each other.

• Keep television sets out of your teen’s bedroom. Set limits for screen time, including cell phones, computers, video games, and other devices, and develop a family media plan.external icon

• Make sure your child gets the recommended amount of sleep each night: For teenagers 13-18 years, 8–10 hours per 24 hours (including naps)

Healthy Bodies - Middle Childhood (9-11 years of age)

• Provide plenty of fruits and vegetables; limit foods high in solid fats, added sugars, or salt, and prepare healthier foods for family meals.

• Keep television sets out of your child’s bedroom. Set limits for screen time and develop a media use plan for your family.external icon

• Encourage your child to participate in an hour a day of physical activities that are age appropriate and enjoyable and that offer variety! Just make sure your child is doing three types of activity: aerobic activity like running, muscle strengthening like climbing, and bone strengthening – like jumping rope – at least three days per week.

• Make sure your child gets the recommended amount of sleep each night: For school-age children 6-12 years, 9–12 hours per 24 hours (including naps)