The Office of Head Start (OHS) administers grant funding and oversight to the 1,600 agencies that provide Head Start services in communities across the country. OHS also provides federal policy direction and a training and technical assistance (TTA) system to help grantees in providing comprehensive services to eligible young children and their families.

Head Start programs prepare America’s most vulnerable young children to succeed in school and in life beyond school. To achieve this, Head Start programs deliver services to children age birth to 5 and their families in core areas of early learning, health, and family well-being.

The Head Start program serves about 1 million children and pregnant women in urban, suburban, and rural communities throughout America. Head Start services are provided in centers, family child care homes, or in the family’s own home.

Currently, OHS is prioritizing four key mission areas: advancing equity, supporting programs’ pandemic response and recovery, investing in the workforce, and reaching more children and families.