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Shelby, North Carolina

Head Start and Early Head Start in Shelby, NC

13 open Head Start and Early Head Start locations in Shelby, from the federal Office of Head Start.

Early Head Start

Apples of Gold II

1633 S Post Rd, Shelby, NC 28152

Run by Cleveland County Partnership for Children, Inc.

Early Head Start

BerryLand Clubhouse II

512 S Dekalb St, Shelby, NC 28150

Run by Cleveland County Partnership for Children, Inc.

Early Head Start

Bloom at BLC

1415 College Ave, Shelby, NC 28152

Run by Cleveland County Partnership for Children, Inc.

Head Start

Boiling Springs

1522 Patrick Ave, Shelby, NC 28152

Run by Cleveland County School District

Head Start

Elizabeth

220 S Post Rd, Shelby, NC 28152

Run by Cleveland County School District

Early Head Start

Play Palace

827 Earl Rd, Shelby, NC 28152

Run by Cleveland County Partnership for Children, Inc.

Head Start

Township Three

526 Davis Rd, Shelby, NC 28152

Run by Cleveland County School District

Head Start

Union Elementary School

1440 Union Church Rd, Shelby, NC 28150

Run by Cleveland County School District

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 Shelby

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 The information is reported by each Head Start grant recipient and can be out of date, so call the center to confirm its address, hours and openings.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