Head Start and Early Head Start
Elm
2205 Elm St, Chico, CA 95928
Run by E Center
Head Start centers / California / Chico
Early Head Start
Chico State-Associated Students Child Development Lab
A Early Head Start center in Chico, California, run by California Department of Education.
Center details
Program: Early Head Start
Ages served: Early Head Start: pregnant women, babies and toddlers under 3
Address: 400 W 1st St, Chico, CA 95929
County: Butte
Run by: California Department of Education, Sacramento, CA
Federal grant ID (for reference): 09HP000543
Funded seats at this site: Early Head Start: 16. These are total funded seats, not how many are open.
Phone: (530) 898-5638
To apply, call: (916) 319-8467
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 Chico
Other options near Chico
Licensed child care and after-school programs in Chico · California 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 The information is reported by each Head Start grant recipient and can be out of date, so call the center to confirm its address, hours and openings.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.