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Head Start and Early Head Start in Rock Island, IL

7 centers in Rock Island. 2 offer Early Head Start, from pregnancy to age 3, and 5 offer Head Start preschool for ages 3 to 5. You apply through 2 programs, which report 289 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 Illinois

$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 size

Centers in Rock Island

Listed A to Z. A center may serve only some ages; the tags show which programs it runs.

  • Hanson Elementary School

    Head Start

    4000 9th St, Rock Island, IL 61201

    Run by Rock Island School District 41 · 45 funded slots

    (309) 793-5930
  • Horace Mann Early Learning Center

    Head Start

    3530 38th Ave, Rock Island, IL 61201

    Run by Rock Island School District 41 · 105 funded slots

  • Ridgewood Elementary School

    Head Start

    9607 14th St W, Rock Island, IL 61201

    Run by Rock Island School District 41 · 15 funded slots

    (309) 793-5980
  • Rock Island Center for Math and Science

    Head Start

    2101 16th Ave, Rock Island, IL 61201

    Run by Rock Island School District 41 · 15 funded slots

    (309) 793-5955
  • Skip-A-Long Rock Island

    Early Head Start

    1609 4th St, Rock Island, IL 61201

    Run by SAL Family and Community Services · 32 funded slots

  • Small Hands Big Hearts

    Early Head Start

    1113 31st Ave, Rock Island, IL 61201

    Run by SAL Family and Community Services · 17 funded slots

    (309) 786-5437
  • Thurgood Marshall Learning Center

    Head Start

    600 11th Ave, Rock Island, IL 61201

    Run by Rock Island School District 41 · 60 funded slots

    (309) 793-5924

Where to apply in Rock Island

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 Rock Island.

  • Rock Island School District 41

    5 centers · Head Start

    No line reported
  • SAL Family and Community Services

    2 centers · Early Head Start

    No line reported

New to Head Start? Who qualifies, what it costs and how applying works