About Our Head Start and Early Head Start Agencies

Our Head Start and Early Head Start agencies offer:

  • Social and emotional learning: This type of learning helps children understand and manage their feelings. Our programs use social and emotional learning to create a safe and caring environment that supports teamwork and social skills.
  • Family support services: Our team members help families find medical and dental care, keep health records up to date, set parent-child goals, and provide other important resources and referrals.
  • Diverse learner assistance and support: If your child has different learning needs and you want extra services, we help you understand the Early Intervention eligibility and coordinate services through your local school district.
  • Leadership opportunities: Parents can get involved in leadership roles in our agency and network committees and councils.

Eligibility

Income Requirements and Ages of Children Served

In order to qualify for our Head Start and Early Head Start services, you must meet the federal poverty guidelines and have a child, age five or younger, that you would like to enroll. You must be pregnant to qualify for doula services but can be of any age and at any stage of pregnancy. If your income is above the federal guidelines based on your family size, and/or your child is older than five years of age, you will not qualify for our programs.

Federal Poverty Guidelines

Head Start & Early Head Start Application Form

Please note that this is not an application for CPS or CEL programming.

Start Early partners with Head Start and Early Head Start agencies that deliver doula, home visiting and center-based programs in Chicago, Suburban Cook County and Lake County. We provide services for pregnant people and children prenatally through birth to age 5.

To get started in the enrollment process, please complete this initial contact form and someone will be in touch with you within 48 business hours. Once you submit your application, you will be redirected to a confirmation page with an “OK” button. Please click the “OK” button to continue to onto critical information about the enrollment process, contact details and documents you will need to collect to complete your enrollment process.

Note: Income is an eligibility requirement for our Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

Go to Form

Educare Chicago was founded by Start Early in 2000 as an innovative early learning program serving infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families on Chicago’s South Side.

Educare pairs the latest research with intensive family engagement to promote school readiness and help families work towards their goals. A pioneer and innovator in early childhood education from the very beginning, Educare Chicago has inspired the development of the Educare Learning Network, a nationwide network of birth-to-age 5 schools.

Visit EducareChicago.org