What You Need To Know
A federal program that has been set up to promote the school readiness of children. Head Start has been set up for low-income families to provide for children from birth to age five. The program aims to improve the cognitive, social and emotional development of the children. It achieves this through a learning environment that contributes to language, literacy, and social and emotional development. The support provided to these children along with the program’s emphasis on the role of parents helps with its objective. The parents are considered to be the first and most important teachers for the child. This concept also results in the building up of healthy family relationships. A positive aspect of this is the support provided through it for family well-being and other important areas.
Early Head Start is also a part of various Head Start programs. The purpose of it is to serve infants, toddlers, and pregnant women as well as their families. These families usually have incomes that are below the established poverty level.
Are You Eligible?
Program requirements for the Head Start program in Alabama include factors where the applicant must
- Have children aged between 0-5 years.
- Be characterized to have low income. This is determined through the help of the poverty guidelines which are published by the Federal government.
- A resident of the state of Alabama
Head Start has been established for the needy families of the state. Therefore, to make sure that deserving families receive this assistance, their income is considered. The annual income of the household is expected to be in line with the following amounts. This means that earning before any tax deductions should be less than or equal to:
| Size of the Household | Maximum Income Level $ (Per Year) |
| 1 | 12,490 |
| 2 | 16,910 |
| 3 | 21,330 |
| 4 | 25,750 |
| 5 | 30,170 |
| 6 | 34,590 |
| 7 | 39,010 |
| 8 | 43,430 |
Certain households may have more than eight residents. In these cases, an amount of $4,420 must be added for each additional person. It is advised that a person remains in contact with their managing agency. Approaching them will help to make sure that the applicant is up to date with the most recent guidelines. This would also allow there to be a minimization of inaccuracy.
In terms of Head Start and Early Head Start, the factor of income is slightly disregarded when it comes to:
- Children in foster care
- Homeless children
- Children from families that receive public assistance such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Supplemental Security Income
Along with these exceptions, 10 percent of children from families with incomes above the poverty level are also enrolled. This percentage can expand to the figure of 35 percent by imposing another kind of limitation. The family can have an income above the poverty guidelines but below 130 percent of it. This is interconnected with other conditions that are a prerequisite for it.
Early Head Start also caters to pregnant women. To make proper use of this benefit program, it is advised that you look into your community. Contacting the Head Start there can help the interested individual to gain appropriate guidance. Local criteria may be set up for it such as the local requirements for enrolling a child. This is a government-funded program which means it has a limited amount of resources. Therefore, not all eligible children are able to get a space. However, a waiting list is present where your children’s name and information can be recorded.
How To Apply
The application process for Alabama Head Start can be started by approaching the community program. The nearest one can be found through the help of the Head Start Locator tool. The program is available in all parts of the state, therefore the tool makes it easier for people to apply. Getting in contact with the local program will allow the interested individual to receive the appropriate forms. They will also be guided in regards to what documents are required from them.
For Further Information
Queries and confusions can be cleared out through the establishment of contact. This can be easily done by the residents of Alabama. They can either call the toll-free number available for their help which is 1-866-763-6481.
To provide a good service to its applicants and participants, the program also has the Head Start Locator tool available. This means that people from all around the state can easily go online and search for their nearest program to approach.