Free Child Care Programs

Established in 1965, Head Start provides a comprehensive, high quality service designed to foster healthy development for income eligible children and families. The program delivers services to children in core areas of child development, health, disabilities, and nutrition that promote children’s school readiness and future success. Since its inception, Head Start has served more than 34 million children, birth to age 5, and their families. In 2016, Head Start was funded to serve nearly one million children and pregnant women in centers, family homes, and in family child care homes in urban, suburban, and rural communities throughout the nation.

The Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO Program or ELO-P) provides funding for afterschool and summer school enrichment programs for transitional kindergarten through sixth grade.

“Expanded learning” means before school, after school, summer, or intersession learning programs that focus on developing the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs and interests of pupils through hands-on, engaging learning experiences. It is the intent of the Legislature that expanded learning programs are pupil-centered, results driven, include community partners, and complement, but do not replicate, learning activities in the regular school day and school year.