The Head Start program was designed to focus primarily on providing early education to children aged three to five and lending support to their families. Even Start focuses primarily on a family approach that includes adult learners. To qualify a parent must need literacy intervention or be unskilled in the English language. Their children who are seven years old or younger also qualify.
Head Start's focus is to give underprivileged children the tools they need to be prepared for school. This includes educational offerings, as well as nutritional, health and social support. They also encourage parent involvement in a child's learning and educational goals. Even Start's focus is to break the cycle of poverty through family education by providing educational literacy programs to parents, educational programs to their children and family learning activities.
Head Start provides grants to schools and local agencies to administer Head Start programs throughout their local community. Even Start provides grants to organizations who share their vision of breaking the cycle of poverty through family education to fund their programs. They do this by first awarding grants to state education agencies who then give sub grants to their educational partners, including local education agencies and non-profit organizations. Programs funded through Even Start can be varied, as long as they work towards to overall vision of the program.
Head Start is administered in a school or early education setting for preschool aged children. The actual curriculum in each program may vary, but all programs follow the general guidelines of providing school readiness for children aged three to five. Even Start programs can vary, but must include four components to meet program guidelines: school readiness education for children up to age seven, literacy programs for eligible parents, classes to teach parents how to be partners in their child's education and family literacy activities.