HEAD START & EARLY HEAD START ELIGIBILITY

Applications are taken for children that are at least 3 or 4 years old by August 31 of the program year (class age).  Also, Southeastern Community Action Partnership is licensed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Childcare to serve children 3 – 5 years of age (actual age).  Therefore, your child must be 3 years old before entry into the Head Start classroom for Head Start services.

Priority will be given as follows:

1. Eligible four-year-olds within income guidelines will be served first with consideration to the following:
   1. Documented disabled within income guidelines.
   2. Suspected disabled within income guidelines.
   3. Hardship (Ex: abused or neglected, impoverished, isolated child, physically or mentally ill parents, drug abusers, fosters care and homeless).
2. Documented four-year-olds disabled over income guidelines.
3. Over income guideline four-year-olds – lowest to highest income, beginning with Category 1, as listed on the SCAP Head Start Program Poverty Guidelines.
4. Eligible three-year-olds within income guidelines will be served with consideration to the following:
   1. Documented disabled within income guidelines.
   2. Suspected disabled within income guidelines.
   3. Hardship (Ex: abused or neglected, impoverished, isolated children, physically or mentally ill parents, drug abusers, foster care and homeless).
5. Documented three-year-olds disabled over income guidelines.
6. Over income guideline three-year-olds – lowest to highest income, beginning with Category 1, as listed on the SCAP, Inc. Head Start Program Poverty Guidelines.