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Office of Head Start skip to primary page contentActing Director Patricia Brown
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Legislation & Regulations

Head Start Act

The Head Start Act authorizes the appropriation of funds at specific levels and the methodology for allocating funds to the various functions of the program. The Act outlines the intent of the Congress for the program, the types of services provided, the population served, reporting and evaluation requirements, and administrative requirements.

The current Act, as amended in 2007, provides the statutory foundation for the entire range of Head Start and Early Head Start services and activities. The purpose of the Head Start Act is to promote school readiness of low-income children by enhancing their social and cognitive development. It also directs programs to offer individualized health, educational, nutritional, and social services to low-income children and their families.

Head Start Program Performance Standards & Other Regulations (45 CFR Parts 1301 - 1311)

Head Start Programs operate under detailed regulations and program performance standards. These rules are reviewed annually by October 1 and then published in the Code of Federal Regulations (45 CFR Parts 1301-1311). Substantive changes to the regulations are published in the Federal Register throughout the year as warranted. These and other small changes are incorporated into the official annual edition.

The Parts 1301-1311, as listed below, link directly to the regulations posted on GPO Access.

  • 1301 - Head Start Grants Administration
  • 1302 - Policies and Procedures for Selection, Initial Funding, and Refunding of Head Start Grantees, and for Selection of Replacement Grantees
  • 1303 - Appeal Procedures For Head Start Grantees and Current or Prospective Delegate Agencies
  • 1304 - Program Performance Standards for the Operation of Head Start Programs by Grantee and Delegate Agencies
  • 1305 - Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance in Head Start
  • 1306 - Head Start Staffing Requirements and Program Options
  • 1307 - Reserved for future use
  • 1308 - Head Start Program Performance Standards on Services for Children with Disabilities
  • 1309 - Head Start Facilities Purchase
  • 1310 - Head Start Transportation
  • 1311 - Head Start Fellows Program