Head Start / Early Head Start

Head Start prepares America's most vulnerable young children to succeed in school and in life. To achieve this, Head Start programs deliver services to children and families in core areas of early learning, health, and family well-being. They also engage parents as partners every step of the way. Learn more about Head Start and how to apply.

Do you receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits? Your child may be eligible for Head Start. Learn more about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Did you know Head Start provides comprehensive services to more than a million children each year?

Birth to 5

• We support learning through play, creative expression, and guided activities. We build strong relationships as the foundation of early learning.
• We promote language and literacy development, early math and science concepts, and positive attitudes toward learning.

Health and Wellness

• We promote physical development both indoors and outdoors. We serve breakfast and lunch, as well as healthy snacks.
• We provide medical, dental, hearing, vision, and behavioral screening.

Social Services

• We help families find assistance in challenging times.
• We help families identify and reach goals around employment, training, and parenting.

Disability Services

• We build on children's strengths and individualize experiences to meet their needs.
• We collaborate with community agencies when further assessment is needed.

How to Apply

1. Find a center near you, or view a map of Colorado Head Start center types and total slots by county. ​
2. Contact the center
3. Follow that center's instruction to apply
4. Call 1-866-763-6481 with any questions

Head Start Collaboration Offices (HSCOs) build partnerships between Head Start and Early Head Start programs, state agencies and departments, and community organizations. These organizations have beneficial activities for children from birth to school entry and their low-income families.

Colorado's Head Start Collaboration Office

The federal Office of Head Start has established six priorities:

1. Partner with state child care systems highlighting the EHS-CC Partnership Initiatives
2. Work with state efforts to collect data regarding early childhood programs and child outcomes
3. Support the expansion and access of high quality, workforce and career opportunities for staff
4. Working with state Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRIS)
5. Work with state school systems to make sure the relationship between Head Start and Kindergarten Entrance Assessment (KEA) continues
6. Any additional regional priorities

Head Start Collaboration Offices Work Together

• Communication: Arrange stakeholder groups for information sharing, planning, partnering and serving as an outlet of information between regional offices and early childhood systems at the state and local levels.
• Access: Ensure Head Start agencies can provide the resources that help children and families have access to needed services.
• ​Systems: Support policy, planning, partnerships and cross agency state systems for early childhood, including the State Advisory Council, that include and serve the Head Start community.​​

Colorado Results First: Positive Return on Investment for Head Start

Colorado Results First is part of the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative and is being implemented by the Governor’s Research and Evidence-Based Policy Initiatives team. The Results First Initiative supports jurisdictions with the implementation of an innovative benefit-cost model. Using Colorado-specific inputs along with data derived from the best available research, the benefit-cost model helps Colorado estimate the net long-term benefits of evidence-based program investments.

The Governor’s Research and Evidence-Based Policy Initiatives team recently used the Results First model to run a cost-benefit analysis on Colorado’s Head Start program (excluding Early Head Start). Based on the analysis, Head Start is anticipated to have a positive return on investment of $4.34 avoided in future costs for every dollar invested in the program. Learn more about the Colorado Results First analysis.

Questions

Contact the State Head Start Collaboration Office:

Heather Craiglow
Director, Head Start Collaboration Office
Email: heather.craiglow@state.co.us
Phone: 303-866-4804