Collaboration on behalf of children and families is one of Head Start’s highest priorities. Since 1990, the Administration on Children and Families (ACF) has awarded the Head Start Collaboration Office grants to support the development of multi-agency and public/private partnerships at the State level. These partnerships were intended to:
- Assist in building early childhood systems and access to comprehensive services and support for all low-income children;
- Encourage widespread collaboration between Head Start and other appropriate programs, services, and initiatives; and to augment Head Start’s capacity to be a partner in State initiatives on behalf of children and their families; and
- Facilitate the involvement of Head Start in State policies, plans, processes, and decisions affecting the Head Start target population and other low-income families.
The Head Start Act contains provisions for the award of a collaboration grant to each State and to each national administrative office serving American Indian Head Start programs and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs to facilitate collaboration among Head Start and Early Head Start agencies and entities that carry out activities designed to benefit low-income children from birth to school entry and their families. Collaboration grants are also awarded to the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.