Head Start San Joaquin

Head Start San Joaquin follows the Federal Poverty Guidelines for eligibility, but we encourage all families to apply. We serve families and children from pregnancy through the age of 5.

• Proof of age
• Current immunization record
• Household income verification,such as previous year tax return/ W-2 form, or recent pay stubs for past 12 months
• Foster agreement, if applicable
• Verification of benefits, including award letters for SNAP (also known as CalFresh), CalWORKs, or SSI
• Current medical-physical record
• Medical, dental, and/or Medi-Cal insurance card 

Please note: Applicants should provide the current medical-physical record and insurance cards for medical, dental, or Medi-Cal insurance, but applicants are still eligible for Head Start if these documents are not available at the time of application.  

Our Head Start programs serve pregnant mothers and children from birth to age 5. 

• Early Head Start serves pregnant mothers and children from birth to age 2. 
• Head Start serves children ages 3 to 5. The child can start at age 3 and a child can apply as early as 2.5 years old

After submitting the application, an enrollment staff member will review and contact the parent within two weeks. 

The intake process typically takes 20–30 minutes, depending on what documents were provided and family information. If additional documents are needed, the process may take longer.

Yes, you can request to be added to multiple locations based on your preference.

Schedules and hours vary based on location preferences: 

• Lodi Unified School District and Stockton Unified School District sites operate on a part-day schedule (6 hours a day) and follow the district’s school calendar.
• Community Action Partnership of Kern sites operate for 10 hours a day and are open year-round. 
• Child Abuse Prevention Council sites offer both part-day and full-day programs.

Immunizations help protect children and staff from vaccine-preventable diseases, reduce the spread of illness, and ensure compliance with state immunization requirements and Head Start Program Performance Standards.

There is no set wait time as our wait list fluctuates daily based on family needs. We do enroll year-round. So, if there are any vacancies, we fill them up right away. Please keep your contact information updated.

If your child is selected for enrollment, a member from our enrollment team will contact you by phone or email using the contact information provided on your application. Please keep your contact information updated.

Yes, you can still apply even if you live outside the county.

We do not have a summer program, however some of our centers and home-based programs operate year-round.

Please call us at 209-468-4933 or email headstartinfo@sjcoe.net.