Head Start and Early Head Start in Des Moines, IA
18 centers in Des Moines (Polk County). 7 offer Early Head Start, from pregnancy to age 3, and 11 offer Head Start preschool for ages 3 to 5. You apply through 3 programs, which report 756 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 Iowa
$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 Des Moines
Listed A to Z. A center may serve only some ages; the tags show which programs it runs.
Capitol View
Head Start320 E 16th St, Des Moines, IA 50316
House of Mercy
Early Head Start1409 Clark St, Des Moines, IA 50314
McKinley
Head Start1610 SE 6th St, Des Moines, IA 50315
Moulton
Head Start1541 8th St, Des Moines, IA 50314
Wonder Years Academy
Early Head Start3838 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, Des Moines, IA 50310
(515) 255-6184
Where to apply in Des Moines
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 Des Moines.
- No line reported
Drake University Early Head Start
- No line reported
Drake University Head Start
- (515) 242-8424
Des Moines Public Schools Head Start
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 Iowa
- How much childcare costsCenter, home daycare and nanny prices
- WIC income limitsFood help for pregnancy and children under 5