Overview

Head Start funding is a critical component of Chicago’s early childhood care and education system, providing nearly one quarter of all public funding for child care and early learning for children under 5 in the city. Head Start programs prepare young children educationally and socially for success in school, and enable parents to participate in the workforce by providing reliable, high-quality care. In a city where affordable child care options are limited and many families rely on Head Start as a lifeline, reducing financial pressure on working families and addressing long-term educational economic disparities.

In Chicago, nearly 14,000 children were enrolled in Head Start in 2023-24. This number represents 36 percent of the children living in poverty in the city. Over half of these children were infants and toddlers.

Learn more about how Chicago's early childhood care and education system relies on critical support from Head Start in this brief.