Head Start and Early Head Start
Story County Family Resource Center
230 SE 16th St, Ames, IA 50010
Run by Mid-Iowa Community Action, Inc.
Head Start centers / Iowa / Ames
Head Start
Ames
A Head Start center in Ames, Iowa, run by Drake University Head Start.
Center details
Program: Head Start
Ages served: Head Start: children ages 3 to 5
Address: 3012 Duff Ave, Ames, IA 50010
County: Story
Run by: Drake University Head Start, Des Moines, IA
Federal grant ID (for reference): 07CH013194
Funded seats at this site: Head Start: 28. These are total funded seats, not how many are open.
Phone: (515) 271-1854
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 Ames
Other options near Ames
Licensed child care and after-school programs in Ames · Iowa 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 The information is reported by each Head Start grant recipient and can be out of date, so call the center to confirm its address, hours and openings.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.