Head Start and Early Head Start are different program types
Head Start Preschool generally serves eligible children from age 3 to school age. Early Head Start serves infants and toddlers under age 3 and may serve pregnant women. Other program types include Migrant and Seasonal and American Indian and Alaska Native programs.
Eligibility has official rules
HeadStart.gov explains income and categorical eligibility, including public assistance, foster care, and homelessness. A local program completes the determination and tells a family which documents are needed. A directory match cannot establish eligibility.
Apply to the local program
- Use the official Head Start Center Locator or a matched location as a starting point.
- Call the local program and ask about its application steps and documents.
- If no place is available, ask whether the program has a waiting list.
- Confirm program type, ages, schedule, service area, and transportation directly.
What the federal location feed can and cannot tell you
The Office of Head Start says service-location data is self-reported by grant recipients and refreshed daily, with no daily archive. Funded slots describe reported funded capacity from one or more funding sources; they are not a count of current openings.
This directory matches an open federal service location to a Texas licensed center only when address/ZIP or a unique public phone provides conservative evidence. Ambiguous records are left unmatched.
Official sources used
Reviewed against these sources on September 22, 2026. Rules and programs can change; follow the official links for current information.