All infants and toddlers enrolled in Head Start programs remain eligible for services for the duration of their enrollment or until they turn 3 years old (45 CFR §1302.12(j)(2)). This policy is consistent with Early Head Start eligibility duration determinations and also applies to young children in Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs.

MSHS programs serve children from birth to school age, with children under age 3 making up nearly half of total enrollment. Longstanding practice has been for MSHS programs to determine or reverify eligibility every two years, consistent with Head Start statutes (42 U.S.C 9840(a)(1)(B)(v)) and regulations (45 CFR §1302.12(j)(1)). The Office of Head Start is clarifying this policy for MSHS programs to ensure continuity of services for infants and toddlers, consistency across programs, and reduced burden of eligibility verification for families and programs.

Eligibility Duration Requirements

1. Children will remain enrolled through the program year. Eligibility reverification does not allow programs to disenroll children during a program year.
2. Once a child under age 3 has been determined eligible for the MSHS program, they are eligible until they turn 3 or are no longer age-eligible for infant and toddler services, and transition to a preschool setting.
3. Once a preschool-aged child has been determined income-eligible for the MSHS program, they are eligible for up to two program years of preschool services before they age out of the program.
4. In instances 2 and 3 above, any age-eligible child who has one family member whose income comes primarily (more than 50%) from agricultural employment is eligible for MSHS services. These conditions will not need to be reverified before the child turns 3 or during the eligibility period for preschool services. For example, a child that becomes eligible for MSHS infant and toddler services at 4 months of age will have eligibility reverified when transitioning to preschool services at age 3. Therefore, the child’s eligibility will be verified twice in a five-year period.

MSHS programs should work with their Policy Council and governing board to ensure policies and procedures reflect this clarifying information.

This content is based on a letter from Tala Hooban sent out in January 2023. It was revised in July 2024 for clarity and to reflect new MSHS eligibility provisions (Sec. 239). Eligibility duration has not changed.

Last Updated: July 11, 2024