Head Start and Early Head Start

Community Action of Eastern Iowa Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide free, comprehensive services to support the mental, social, and emotional development of children from birth through age five.

Head Start services include, but are not limited to:

  • Healthy breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack to ensure good nutrition
  • Vision and hearing screenings
  • Assistance finding a medical or dental home
  • Services for children with disabilities

Head Start’s approach to child development and education is comprehensive; including the child, family and community. Our programs are designed to meet the needs of a child and family’s unique developmental, ethnic, cultural and linguistic needs and background.

Who is the program for?

Your child is eligible for Head Start if:

  • Your child is 3 years old, 4 years old, or 5 years old after September 15th of the school year
  • Your family meets Head Start income guidelines

Your child is eligible for Early Head Start if:

  • Your child is 2 weeks to 2 1/2 years of age
  • Your family meets Head Start income guidelines
  • Pregnant women who would like their child to attend after birth

How does it work?

We give parents the necessary tools to become their children’s primary educators and advocates. We also help parents identify and meet their own goals to enhance the quality of life for their entire family.

Parents apply to Head Start, and if accepted, children are admitted to the program where they will receive education, health, and other social services. In Scott County, these programs take place on-site at schools, where children receive educational programming and a healthy meal each day. Head Start requires regular attendance.

Scott County Kids supports Early Head Start at Keystone Academy and Goose Creek Heights and Head Start at Lincoln and Roosevelt in Davenport, but there are many other locations throughout Scott, Clinton, Muscatine, and Cedar counties.

Sign Up

Head Start and Early Head Start is administered by Community Action of Eastern Iowa. To sign up, fill out the online application. You can also download our brochure, which includes an application.

For more information, contact Diane Martens at Scott County Kids or Community Action of Eastern Iowa at 563-324-3236.