Head Start
Merchants of Hope Enrichment Academy
3741 Guthrie St, East Chicago, IN 46312
Run by Geminus Corporation
Head Start centers / Indiana / East Chicago
Head Start and Early Head Start
Robertson Child Development Center
A Head Start and Early Head Start center in East Chicago, Indiana, run by Geminus Corporation.
Center details
Program: Head Start and Early Head Start
Ages served: Early Head Start: pregnant women, babies and toddlers under 3; Head Start: children ages 3 to 5
Address: 4860 Olcott Ave, East Chicago, IN 46312
County: Lake
Run by: Geminus Corporation, Merrillville, IN
Federal grant ID (for reference): 05CH012496
Funded seats at this site: Head Start: 25; Early Head Start: 14. These are total funded seats, not how many are open.
Phone: (219) 398-7732
To apply, call: (888) 893-6891
Every Head Start program must meet federal quality rules for early learning, health and family support. When you call, ask: How do I apply and what documents do I bring? Is there a waitlist? Is the day full or part? Is there transportation?
Who can enroll
Head Start serves children ages 3 to 5 (ask the center about its birthday cutoff date). Early Head Start serves pregnant women, babies and toddlers under 3. Both are free for families who qualify.
Families usually qualify when household income is at or below the federal poverty guideline for their family size, or when the family gets public assistance such as TANF or SSI, the child is in foster care, or the family is experiencing homelessness. Programs may also enroll some children from families just above the guideline, and each program sets its own application steps and waitlist, so ask the center.
Official HHS poverty guidelines (current year) · Head Start's own center locator
More Head Start locations in East Chicago
Other options near East Chicago
Licensed child care and after-school programs in East Chicago · Indiana child care rules
Source: Head Start Service Location Dataset, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Head Start (CSV file), file dated November 8, 2026. The information is reported by each Head Start grant recipient and can be out of date, so call the center to confirm its address, hours and openings. Locations the program lists as closed are left out. Home-based locations show city and ZIP code only. A listing is not an endorsement.
Something wrong? Head Start centers update their own records with the Office of Head Start; you can also tell us and we'll fix or remove this page.