Federal benefit · Child care · Last verified 2026-08-08

Early Head Start (birth to 3)

Free child development, home visits, and in some programs child care, from birth to age 3.

What it's worth
Free care and development services
Deadline
No fixed deadline
Who qualifies
Primarily income-based; foster kids and families receiving certain assistance are categorically eligible.

The details

Early Head Start serves families with kids from birth to 3 (and pregnant moms) with free child development services, home visiting, and in many programs center-based care. It's income-based, with spots reserved for foster kids and families on certain assistance. Waitlists are real — applying early matters. Use the locator to find programs near you.

Find a program near you

Official source: https://headstart.gov

Anchor tracks all of these for your kid's birth year and your state — free. Provide matches every benefit here to your kid's age, shows the real deadline, and links only to official pages. No ads, no subscription, no locked features.

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