Head Start and Early Head Start in Waterloo, IA
12 centers in Waterloo (Black Hawk County). 4 offer Early Head Start, from pregnancy to age 3, and 11 offer Head Start preschool for ages 3 to 5. You apply through one local program, which report 561 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 Waterloo
Listed A to Z. A center may serve only some ages; the tags show which programs it runs.
Dr. Walter Cunningham School for Excellence
Head Start1224 Mobile St, Waterloo, IA 50703
(319) 433-2600Family YMCA of Black Hawk County Child Development Center
Head Start669 S Hackett Rd, Waterloo, IA 50701
(319) 233-3531Hawkeye Child Development Center
Early Head StartHead Start1501 E Orange Rd, Black Hawk Hall, Waterloo, IA 50701
(319) 426-4245Learning and Community Center (LCC)
Early Head StartHead Start840 W 4th St, Waterloo, IA 50702
(319) 235-0383
Where to apply in Waterloo
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 Waterloo.
- (319) 235-0383 ext. 103
Tri-County Child & Family Development Council, Inc.
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