Who is Eligible for Head Start & ECEAP?
Shoreline School District residents only. If a student moves out of the Shoreline School District during the school year, the student is no longer eligible for Head Start and/or ECEAP services in our district. Staff will assist families with registering for Head Start services in their new district.
Eligibility is determined through the application process.
Most children are eligible for ECEAP and Head Start based on their age and family income. Up to 10% of ECEAP and Head Start slots can be filled by children above the income requirement who have multiple support needs, including:
- Environmental factors such as homelessness, family violence, chemical dependency, foster care, or incarcerated parents.
- Developmental factors such as developmental delay or other special needs.
In addition, children with disabilities who qualify for special education services and/or previously participated in certain birth to age three programs are also eligible for ECEAP.
After eligibility is determined, children are prioritized for enrollment as space is available in their communities. While ECEAP and Head Start have similar eligibility criteria, there are some differences:
- Head Start:
- From families at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level, with priority to those at or below 100 percent; or
- Eligible for or receiving one of the following public assistance:
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Basic Food Assistance in Washington State
- Experiencing homelessness
- In foster care
- Some children may be accepted who are over the income limit if they have developmental or environmental factors
- ECEAP
- From a family with income at or below 36% of the state median income (SMI), which includes all children in foster care and all families with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grants,
- Is a tribal child defined by rule from Washington State federally recognized tribes and DCYF, and from a family with income at or below 100% SMI,
- On Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for special education,
- Experiencing homelessness, or
- Has participated in:
- Early ECEAP,
- Early Head Start (EHS),
- Early Support for Infants and Toddlers ESIT) or received class C developmental services from another state, or
- Early Childhood Intervention and Prevention Services (ECLIPSE)
- Some children may be accepted who are over the income limit, if they have developmental or environmental factors.
