Page 459
459 (07/2026) Chapter 2:Eligibility • Section 6: Non-financial eligibility Head Start contracted slots Head Start contracts that provide child care services for ERDC families are developed and administered by DELC, with feedback and assistance from the local district. Not all Head Start programs have contracted slots. Only sites that are able to offer full-day, full-year care and meet other requirements are eligible to contract with DELC. Head Start contracted slots begin September 1 or October 1 (depending on the program) and end August 31 of the following year. A child can enter a contracted slot anytime throughout the year and children in a contracted slot will have the potential to renew the contracted slot the next year as long as they meet ERDC and Head Start eligibility requirements. Head Start programs recruit existing or new ERDC-eligible children, ages 0 through 5, to participate in the contracted slots. Staff may also refer families to Head Start. Head Start Eligibility To meet initial Head Start eligibility, a family must be eligible for ERDC and meet the following criteria: • The family meets Head Start income standards, which are lower than ERDC income standards. • The caretaker is:
Working more than 20 hours per week, or
A student attending school more than 20 hours per week, or
Receiving TANF benefits. • The caretaker agrees to have the child attend the Head Start at least 108 hours per month. Protected eligibility for children in Head Start contracted slots Children in a Head Start contracted slot will have protected eligibility and can only be removed from a Head Start slot prior to the certification end date if: • The child’s attendance is less than 108 hours per month and efforts to increase attendance have failed • The Head Start program decides to remove the child from the slot • The family chooses to leave the Head Start program • The caretaker is no longer available to work or attend school during the hours the Head Start program is operating Children served by a Head Start contract are not eligible for the ERDC program to make direct payments to other providers. A billing form cannot be sent to a secondary provider for backup care. Head Start programs can offer subcontracted payments to ERDC approved providers. The subcontracted providers are paid directly by the Head Start and payments won’t show in the system. These subcontracted providers help cover care when the Head Start facility is closed for holidays, in-service, vacation, or other approved closures. These payments are monitored and tracked through DELC. A child should not be removed from a contracted slot, and the caretaker should not be told to stop using child care, when the caretaker loses a job. The child remains in the contracted slot as long as the child’s monthly participation is at least 108 hours, unless the local contracted child care point person and the Head Start program decide otherwise.