Head Start and Early Head Start in Birmingham, AL
13 centers in Birmingham (Jefferson County). 9 offer Early Head Start, from pregnancy to age 3, and 10 offer Head Start preschool for ages 3 to 5. You apply through 5 programs, which report 719 funded slots here. It's free if you qualify.
Source: Office of Head Start service locations, as of October 2026. Each program reports its own sites, so call before you visit. Closed sites are left out.
Who qualifies in Alabama
$27,320a year or less for a family of three, or $33,000 for four. That's the 2026 federal poverty line, Head Start's income limit.
You also qualify at any income if you get TANF or SSI, your child is in foster care, or your family is homeless.
Sources: 45 CFR 1302.12; HHS poverty guidelines
Poverty guidelines for every family sizeCenters in Birmingham
Listed A to Z. A center may serve only some ages; the tags show which programs it runs.
Cooper Green Head Start Center
Early Head StartHead Start1501 Arthur Shores Drive, NW, Birmingham, AL 35211
(659) 240-8990Elyton Head Start Center
Early Head StartHead Start432 Center St N, Birmingham, AL 35204
(205) 843-8869Kingston Head Start Center
Early Head StartHead Start801 46th St N, Birmingham, AL 35212
(205) 843-8874St. Vincent CDC/Jeff State Collab
Early Head StartHead Start1033 22nd St S, Birmingham, AL 35205
(205) 945-0018TCR - James Rushton Early Learning Center
Early Head Start5512 1st Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35212
(205) 730-0926TCR New Beginning Christian Dev. Ctr.
Early Head Start501 Mountain Dr, Birmingham, AL 35206
(205) 591-0088UAB Early Head Start
Early Head Start933 19th St S, Ch 19 Room 118, Birmingham, AL 35205
(205) 934-5736
Where to apply in Birmingham
You apply to the program, not to one center. Each number here is the program's enrollment line: staff check whether you qualify, tell you which centers have room, and add you to the waiting list if they're full. Counts are centers in Birmingham.
- (205) 941-6077
Childcare Resources
- (601) 923-4100 ext. 4121
Mississippi Action for Progress, Inc.
- (334) 242-1425
Alabama Department of Human Resources
- (205) 933-1095
Jefferson County Child Development Council, Inc.
- (205) 934-5736
University of Alabama, Birmingham
New to Head Start? Who qualifies, what it costs and how applying works
Help paying for child care
- Child care assistance (subsidies) by stateWhen Head Start is full or your income is a little higher
- 2026 federal poverty guidelinesThe income table Head Start uses
- Child care cost by countyWhat daycare costs in Alabama
- How much childcare costsCenter, home daycare and nanny prices
- WIC income limitsFood help for pregnancy and children under 5