Head Start and Early Head Start in Cleveland, OH
33 centers in Cleveland (Cuyahoga County). 10 offer Early Head Start, from pregnancy to age 3, and 32 offer Head Start preschool for ages 3 to 5. You apply through 3 programs, which report 1,571 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 Ohio
$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 Cleveland
Listed A to Z. A center may serve only some ages; the tags show which programs it runs.
Gordon Square Early Learning Center
Early Head StartHead Start5209 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44102
(216) 651-2037Quincy Place Early Learning Program
Early Head StartHead Start8111 Quincy Ave, Cleveland, OH 44104
(216) 431-4818Rainbow Terrace
Early Head StartHead Start7255 Garden Valley Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44104
(216) 441-0230Wade Early Learning Center
Early Head StartHead Start9111 Yale Ave, Cleveland, OH 44108
(216) 761-4994William Patrick Day Head Start
Early Head StartHead Start2421 Community College Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115
(216) 736-2934
Where to apply in Cleveland
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 Cleveland.
- (216) 696-9077 ext. 302
Step Forward (formerly Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland)
- (216) 325-9678
The Centers for Families and Children
- (216) 334-2945
Catholic Charities
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 Ohio
- How much childcare costsCenter, home daycare and nanny prices
- WIC income limitsFood help for pregnancy and children under 5