Children from birth to age five from families with low income, according to the Poverty Guidelines published by the Federal government, are eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start services.
Children in foster care, homeless children, and children from families receiving public assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Supplemental Security Income) are also eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start services regardless of income.
In order to qualify, you must have an annual household income (before taxes) that is below the following amounts:
Annual Household Income Limits (before taxes)| Household Size* | Maximum Income Level (Per Year) |
|---|
| 1 | $15,060 |
| 2 | $20,440 |
| 3 | $25,820 |
| 4 | $31,200 |
| 5 | $36,580 |
| 6 | $41,960 |
| 7 | $47,340 |
| 8 | $52,720 |
*For households with more than eight people, add $5,380 per additional person. Always check with the appropriate managing agency to ensure the most accurate guidelines.
Head Start programs may enroll children from families that have incomes above the Poverty Guidelines. Pregnant women may also be eligible for Early Head Start.
We strongly recommend you contact the Head Start or Early Head Start in your community to find out about their local requirements for enrolling your child and for further guidance. If there is not a space for you and your child at this time, ask the program to put your family on the waiting list.
FAQs
Florida's School Readiness (SR) Program provides financial assistance to families with children birth to five to offset the expense of child care programs and allow parents to work or attend school. Qualifying families pay a portion of child care costs based on the family's income, household size, and other factors.
What is the Head Start program in Florida? ›
The Head Start program provides intensive comprehensive child development and family support services to enrolled children, pregnant women and families. Head Start serves families with children ages 3 to 5. Early Head Start serves families with children under the age of 3 and pregnant women.
What is the earliest age for Head Start? ›
Early Head Start programs support pregnant women and families with children younger than age 3 years. Head Start programs serve children between 3 and 5 years old. These programs are run by local nonprofit organizations, community action agencies, and school districts.
What qualifies as head of household in Florida? ›
In Florida, a debtor is considered to be head of household if their earnings provide more than half of the financial support for another person to whom they have either a legal or moral obligation of support.
How much is daycare in Florida a month? ›
How much does childcare cost in Florida? In-home childcare in Florida rings in around $700 each month. Parents with infants to care for pay even more than that: an average monthly cost of about $740 per month, or around $9,000 each year. Parents of children in pre-K pay a little less: an average of $650 each month.
What is the Florida financial hardship program? ›
The Florida Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program is designed to help needy families achieve self-sufficiency. States receive grants to design and operate programs that accomplish one of the purposes of the TANF program.
What are the benefits for low-income people in Florida? ›
The Department of Children and Families, Economic Self Sufficiency Program has several programs that can help Florida families. They include, Food Assistance, Temporary Cash Assistance, Medicaid and Refugee Assistance. Each of these programs has its own eligibility rules.
What does Head Start mean? ›
1. : an advantage granted or achieved at the beginning of a race, a chase, or a competition. a 10-minute head start. 2. : a favorable or promising beginning.
Which statement about Head Start is true? ›
The correct statement about Head Start is: Its long-lasting beneficial effects are well documented. Research has shown that children who participate in Head Start programs experience positive impacts on their cognitive, social, and emotional development that can extend into adulthood.
What year was Head Start launched? ›
Project Head Start, launched as an eight-week summer program by the Office of Economic Opportunity in 1965, was designed to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low-income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs.
Parent(s)/guardian(s) must be working or participating in an educational activity such as attending college or trade school at least 20 hours/week. Gross income must be at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level for family size.
Is Florida an income cap state? ›
Florida is an "Income Cap" state. This means that if a person's gross income is over $2,199 per month, then that person is ineligible for ICP Medicaid benefits.
How much is daycare in Florida? ›
Child Care Usage in Florida:
The average annual cost of care for an infant is $8,376 in a child care center and $7,449 in a family child care home. The average annual cost of care for a 4 year old is $6,647 in a child care center and $6,325 in a family child care home.
