Head Start and Early Head Start in Charleston, SC

5 open Head Start and Early Head Start locations in Charleston, from the federal Office of Head Start.

Early Head Start

Charleston County First Steps

4975 Lacross Rd Ste 100, Charleston, SC 29406

Run by Charleston County School District Early Head Start

Head Start and Early Head Start

Charleston Progressive Elementary

382 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29403

Run by Charleston County School District Head Start

Early Head Start

Crescent Child Development Center

2168 Dunlap St, Charleston, SC 29406

Run by South Carolina Association OF Community Action Partnerships

Head Start and Early Head Start

James Island Elementary Head Start

1872 S Grimball Rd, Charleston, SC 29412

Run by Charleston County School District Head Start

Head Start and Early Head Start

Stono Park Elementary

314 Huntley Dr, Charleston, SC 29407

Run by Charleston County School District Head Start

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 Charleston

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 The information is reported by each Head Start grant recipient and can be out of date, so call the center to confirm its address, hours and openings.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