Office of Head Start

**About the Office of Head Start** Head Start and Early Head Start programs are administered by the Office of Head Start (OHS), within the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. OHS administers grant funding and oversight to about 1,700 public and private nonprofit and for-profit agencies that offer [Head Start services](https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohs/head-start-services) in local communities. Head Start and Early Head Start grant recipients provide services to more than 1 million children every year, in every U.S. state and territory, farm worker camps, and more than 155 tribal communities. OHS is appropriated more than $10 billion per fiscal year for programs under the Head Start Act. Funding details may be found at [Head Start Program Annual Fact Sheets](https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/browse/series/head-start-program-annual-fact-sheets "Go to the website"). OHS also provides [federal policy direction](https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/policy) and a [training and technical assistance (TTA)](https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohs/assistance) system to assist grant recipients in delivering comprehensive services to eligible young children and their families. Learn more about [Head Start services](https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohs/about/head-start). OHS was appropriated $10.8 billion in [fiscal year 2021](https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/about-us/article/head-start-program-facts-fiscal-year-2021). Of that amount, $10.4 billion was awarded directly to public agencies, private nonprofit and for-profit organizations, tribal governments, and school systems to operate Head Start programs in local communities. To improve the quality of services provided by grant recipients, more than $247 million was directed to TTA. Half that amount was awarded directly to grant recipients to be used for local TTA and the other half funded the regional and national systems. To learn how to apply for a Head Start grant, see the [Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Locator section](https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohs/funding).