Head Start and Early Head Start in Portales, NM

2 open Head Start and Early Head Start locations in Portales, from the federal Office of Head Start.

Early Head Start

Portales 1034 Community Way

1034 Community Way, Portales, NM 88130

Run by Eastern Plains Community Action Agency, Inc.

Head Start

Portales 501 E. 1st St

501 E 1st St, Portales, NM 88130

Run by Eastern Plains Community Action Agency, Inc.

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

Also in Portales

Licensed child care and after-school programs in Portales · Youth nonprofits in Portales · New Mexico program 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 The information is reported by each Head Start grant recipient and can be out of date, so call the center to confirm its address, hours and openings.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.