About the Office of Head Start

Current as of:

Head Start and Early Head Start programs are administered by the Office of Head Start (OHS), within the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

OHS administers grant funding and oversight to about 1,700 public and private nonprofit and for-profit agencies that offer Head Start services in local communities. Head Start and Early Head Start grant recipients provide services to more than 1 million children every year, in every U.S. state and territory, farm worker camps, and more than 155 tribal communities. OHS is appropriated more than $10 billion per fiscal year for programs under the Head Start Act. Funding details may be found at Head Start Program Annual Fact Sheets .

OHS also provides federal policy direction and a training and technical assistance (TTA) system to assist grant recipients in delivering comprehensive services to eligible young children and their families. Learn more about Head Start services.

OHS was appropriated $10.8 billion in fiscal year 2021 . Of that amount, $10.4 billion was awarded directly to public agencies, private nonprofit and for-profit organizations, tribal governments, and school systems to operate Head Start programs in local communities. To improve the quality of services provided by grant recipients, more than $247 million was directed to TTA. Half that amount was awarded directly to grant recipients to be used for local TTA and the other half funded the regional and national systems. To learn how to apply for a Head Start grant, see the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Locator section.

Technical Assistance

The Office of Head Start (OHS) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) system supports program staff in delivering quality services to children and families.

Policy

The Head Start Act and the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) define standards and minimum requirements for all Head Start services.

Grant Recipient Profiles and Reports

These profiles  provide grant recipients with information regarding their performance and compliance with requirements governing Head Start and Early Head Start programs. 

Leadership

Khari Garvin is the director of the Office of Head Start (OHS) at the Administration for Children and Families.

History of Head Start

Explore key moments in Head Start history. Access archival photographs, videos, resources, and more.

Research

Research sponsored through Head Start funding over the past decade has provided valuable information to guide Head Start program operations and the field of early childhood programming and early childhood development.

OHS Organization

OHS has 12 Regional Offices that support the administration of grants, oversight, and TTA to Head Start grant recipients. These offices are located in:

  • Boston, MA
  • New York, NY
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Atlanta, GA
  • Chicago, IL
  • Kansas City, MO
  • Dallas, TX
  • Denver, CO
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Seattle, WA

The Regional Offices for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs are located in Washington, DC .