Federal grant programs / Department of Health and Human Services

Head Start (93.600)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$57 billion
• Grant awards5,504
• Typical award$4.0 million
• Awarded in FY 2025$12 billion
• Size rank12 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceProject grants, direct payments for specified use

Key findings

• Annual funding was roughly flat, $12 billion in fiscal 2021 and $12 billion in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 12th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 13% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 57 states and territories.

What the program funds

The Head Start program promotes school readiness by enhancing the cognitive, physical, behavioral, and social-emotional development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social, and other services to their enrollees - low-income children and families, including those on federally recognized tribal reservations and migratory farm workers. The program is designed to involve parents in their child’s learning and development, and to help parents make progress toward their educational, literacy, and employment goals. Head Start also emphasizes the significant involvement of parents in the administration of their local Head Start programs. The Head Start Program Performance Standards outline the requirements and expectations of programs in delivering these services. Local Head Start programs are expected to collaborate with other early care and education programs in their communities, and to work closely with local school systems to continue the gains children achieve in Head Start. Program implementation emphasizes increasing parental choice, improving health, education, nutrition, and employment outcomes, increasing operational efficiency, and strengthening parental engagement, refocusing the program on its original goals, established 60 years ago, to help American families escape poverty. Through Early Head Start programming, the focus includes child development and enabling parents to fulfill their roles while moving toward self-sufficiency. These local programs promote the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of infants and toddlers through safe and developmentally enriching caregiving, preparing children for continued growth and development and eventual success in school and life. Since 2014 through Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships, access is expanded to meet the needs for infant and toddler care in communities through traditional Early Head Start programming or through partnerships with center-based and family child care providers who agree to meet the Head Start Program Performance Standards. To achieve their goals, local programs are supported by a robust training and technical assistance system (national, regional, and local). The Office of Head Start Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) System improves the knowledge, skills, and practices of recipient staff to implement their local programs which, in turn, improve the outcomes of children and families. The TTA system provides assistance on program management and fiscal operations; early childhood development; teaching and learning; engagement of parents, families, and the community; and health, behavioral health, and safety. Awards are also issued to Tribal Colleges & Universities for establishing or enhancing partnerships with local Head Start programs to effectively increase the number of qualified education staff working in American Indian Alaska Native Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Forecast opportunities

• Head Start/Early Head Grants in Multiple States
  Forecast · Expected deadline December 15, 2026 · up to $79.7 million
• Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership Grants in Multiple States
  Forecast · Expected deadline December 15, 2026 · up to $5.0 million

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Any government, federally-recognized Indian tribe, or public or private nonprofit or for profit agency which meets the requirements listed in a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) may apply for an award. However, applications will be considered only when submitted in response to a specific opportunity, published at the following website address: http://www.grants.gov, which solicits proposals to expand Head Start/Early Head Start programs or establish new ones. Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity.

What the money can and cannot pay for

See individual NOFOs for information on allowable costs.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Recipients are required to meet a 20% non-federal share match requirement under section 640(b) of the Head Start Act. However, programs can request to waive the non-federal share match, if necessary. Per, 45 CFR 1303.44(c), non-federal share associated with facilities activities becomes part of the federal share of the facilityMOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Range of assistance: Min: $321,659 Max: $201,641,179 Average: $6,678,380 Median: $4,096,643

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Nonprofits received 75% of the money, state and local governments 18% and tribes 3.3%.

By state

Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.