Head Start and Early Head Start in Columbia, SC

7 open Head Start and Early Head Start locations in Columbia, from the federal Office of Head Start.

Early Head Start

Arthurtown Child Development Center

223 Riley St, Columbia, SC 29201

Run by Vital Connections of the Midlands, Inc

Early Head Start

Children's Garden Child Development Center

1135 Blue Ridge Ter, Columbia, SC 29203

Run by Vital Connections of the Midlands, Inc

Head Start

Pineview Head Start Center

1916 Pineview Dr, Columbia, SC 29209

Run by Gleamns Human Resource Commission, Inc.

Early Head Start

RCFS Home Based

Columbia, SC 29204

Run by Richland County First Steps

Early Head Start

Richland County First Steps at Ridgewood Missionary Baptist

5324 Ridgeway St, Columbia, SC 29203

Run by Richland County First Steps

Early Head Start

Richland County First Steps at Virginia Wingard United Methodist Church

1500 Broad River Rd, Columbia, SC 29210

Run by Richland County First Steps

Head Start

St. Andrews Head Start Center

1400 Saint Andrews Rd, Columbia, SC 29210

Run by Gleamns Human Resource Commission, 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 Columbia

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 The information is reported by each Head Start grant recipient and can be out of date, so call the center to confirm its address, hours and openings.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