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Letter from the Director on the Changes to Eligibility Criteria for Regions XI and XII

Dear colleagues,

Over the weekend, the President signed a fiscal year 2024 (FY24) spending bill. It funds Head Start programs through the remainder of the fiscal year with additional funds for a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). It also changes eligibility criteria for Regions XI and XII — our American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) grant recipients. We celebrate this change alongside Head Start grant recipients, as the Administration, in partnership with so many of our AIAN and MSHS partners, has worked tirelessly to support this change for years.

The language in the FY24 spending bill expands opportunities for AIAN and MSHS programs to more effectively serve the families that they were designed to serve:

  • Tribal programs will now have the discretion to consider eligibility regardless of income. AIAN programs can use their selection criteria to enroll children who would benefit from Head Start services but do not meet income eligibility requirements. This selection criteria may include prioritizing children in families in which a child, family member, or member of the household is a member of an Indian tribe.
  • This bill also allows MSHS programs to serve any child who has at least one family member whose income comes primarily from agricultural employment as defined in the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Protection Act. It also renders children and families in this category eligible for Head Start services regardless of their total family income. MSHS programs are still required to develop selection criteria to prioritize the children of migrant farmworker families and to serve children who would benefit most from their services.

You can find the specific language that addresses Head Start eligibility in the FY24 spending bill. These provisions go into effect immediately, however, no child who is currently served in AIAN and MSHS programs should have their enrollment disrupted to accommodate new enrollees who may qualify based on these provisions. The Office of Head Start will release additional guidance soon and will continue to work with all programs to implement these changes.

Thank you for the work you do on behalf of children and their families. I look forward to our continued partnership.

/ Khari M. Garvin /

Khari M. Garvin
Director
Office of Head Start

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