Skip to content
DaycarePal
Head Start

Head Start in Texas

Head Start is free preschool for children 3 to 5 from families who qualify, and Early Head Start serves babies and toddlers. Families qualify by income, or when they receive public assistance, a child is in foster care or the family has no stable home.

Head Start and Early Head Start centers listed
565
towns
238
towns have their own Head Start page
38
of all Texas daycares
4%

Map of Texas: each dot is a town with Head Start and Early Head Start centers, sized by how many are listed

Head Start
What puts a daycare on this listThe Office of Head Start lists a Head Start or Early Head Start site at the daycare, or its name, its own website or its state record says Head Start.Head Start programs also run classrooms in public schools and home-based services that may not be on this list; the Office of Head Start's locator lists every site.

Head Start

Head Start and Early Head Start in Texas

Head Start centers (ages 3 to 5)
467
Free preschool for children from families who qualify.
Early Head Start centers (birth to 3)
372
For babies and toddlers, and many programs also serve expectant families.
on the federal Head Start site list
524
The Office of Head Start lists a site at these daycares. The others say Head Start in their name, on their website or on their state record.
How to apply for Head Start (Office of Head Start)

Head Start sites: Office of Head Start, Head Start service locations (Administration for Children and Families), 2026.

Texas

Largest towns for Head Start in Texas

San Antonio58 centersHouston43 centersEl Paso24 centersDallas19 centersAustin17 centersFort Worth16 centersBrownsville15 centersCorpus Christi12 centersHarlingen7 centersPasadena7 centersAmarillo6 centersDonna6 centers

Programs

Programs in Texas

Counts come from the state record and what each daycare says it offers. A daycare without a tag may still offer the program; ask.

ProgramListed
All daycares14,306
Take infants10,340
Child care centers9,595
Accept subsidy5,958
In-home daycares4,711
Christian & church daycares1,317
Montessori schools733
Preschools & pre-K13,150
24-hour daycare159
Night daycare1,367
Early morning daycare6,146
Weekend daycare1,190
Part-time daycare543
Drop-in daycare230
After-school care12,562
Bilingual daycare380
Head Start565

The Texas state record

Texas Health and Human Services, Child Care Regulation licenses daycares in Texas.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
The ages on each license
Inspections
Every visit the state publishes back to 2021
Cited rules
The inspector's finding, in the state's own words, with the risk level
Corrections
Correction dates as the state records them
Search the Texas state records

Before you enroll

Applying to Head Start in Texas

  1. 1

    Check that you qualify

    Families qualify by income, or when they receive TANF, SSI or SNAP, a child is in foster care or the family has no stable home. Programs may take some other children too.

  2. 2

    Have your papers ready

    Ask the program which papers to bring, such as proof of your child's age and of your family's income or benefits.

  3. 3

    Ask about the waitlist

    There are not enough places for every child who qualifies. If no place is open now, ask to join the waitlist.

  4. 4

    Ask about the day

    Some programs run full days, some part days or the school year only, and some visit families at home. Ask which fits your family.

Texas

Cost, inspections and ratios in Texas

Daycare cost in TexasWeekly prices by age and countyWhat Texas inspectors citeThe rules cited most, and what they meanStaff-to-child ratios in TexasHow many children each adult may care forTour checklist for TexasQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 238 Texas towns with Head Start, A to Z

A13 towns
B20 towns
C24 towns
D5 towns
E9 towns
F10 towns
G9 towns
H14 towns
J2 towns
K6 towns
L20 towns
M23 towns
N4 towns
O4 towns
P17 towns
Q2 towns
R10 towns
S27 towns
T9 towns
U1 town
V2 towns
W5 towns
Y1 town
Z1 town

Nearby

Nearby states

Louisiana285 centersOklahoma265 centersArkansas236 centersNew Mexico119 centers

Questions

Questions about Head Start in Texas

How many Head Start and Early Head Start centers are in Texas?

565 Head Start and Early Head Start centers are listed in 238 Texas towns. Head Start programs also run classrooms in public schools and home-based services that may not be on this list; the Office of Head Start's locator lists every site.

Which Texas town has the most Head Start and Early Head Start centers?

San Antonio, with 58 listed. Next are Houston (43) and El Paso (24).

Who qualifies for Head Start?

Children from families whose income is at or below the federal poverty guidelines, families that receive TANF, SSI or SNAP, children in foster care and children experiencing homelessness. Programs may also take some children who do not meet these rules, so ask.

Is Head Start free?

Yes. Head Start and Early Head Start cost nothing for families who qualify.

What ages does Head Start serve?

Head Start preschool is for children 3 to 5. Early Head Start is for babies and toddlers from birth to 3, and many programs also serve expectant families.

How do I apply for Head Start?

Call or visit the Head Start program near you; it explains the papers you need. If no place is open now, ask to join the waitlist. The Office of Head Start's apply page links to its national locator.

Who licenses daycares in Texas?

Texas Health and Human Services, Child Care Regulation licenses daycares in Texas. It publishes its inspections and the rules it cited, and we copy them onto each listing.