Head Start was created in 1965 as a national program to serve children three to five years old and their families. Early Head Start (EHS) was added in 1994 to target the needs of pregnant women, infants and toddlers, in response to research that demonstrates the incredible importance of children's earliest years on brain development and the readiness to learn. With the addition of Early Head Start, Head Start offers comprehensive programming for children birth to five years old and their families.

Funding The majority of Head Start funding in Kansas is federal, with grants from the Department of Health and Human Services directly to local grantees. Forty-two (42) percent of grantees in Kansas are school districts, 30 percent are not-for-profit agencies, and 25 percent are Community Action Agencies. One grantee is a university. In the past two years, the Kansas Legislature has approved $3.4 milion in State General Funds to expand Kansas Early Head Start.

• Funded enrollment in Kansas Head Start programs is over 8,300 children. Actual enrollment (the number of children touched by Head Start each year) is more than 10,000.
• Head Start operates in 86 Kansas counties; Early Head Start is in 48 counties.
• Head Start serves 65 percent of eligible three- to five-year olds, but Early Head Start only reaches 6 percent of eligible infants and toddlers.
• 90 percent of families must be income-eligible to qualify for Head Start, meaning their household income is at or below the Federal Poverty Level ($20,650 for a family of four). At least 10 percent of children served have special needs.
• There are 28 Head Start programs in the Kansas Head Start Association (KHSA), including two based in Nebraska (serving Kansas Counties) and two Native American programs.
• Kansas Head Start has 368 classrooms in almost 200 centers.
• The Kansas Head Start community numbers over 2,000 staff and more than 17,000 volunteers. Half of those volunteers are parents.