Placements may be negotiated for children with disabilities who are income eligible to participate in the Head Start programs. These arrangements are usually made with the local education agency or special education cooperative, since they know families request Head Start placements for their children, if this option is available. The number of slots available in a given Head Start program will vary. It is important to maintain natural proportions of children with disabilities to children without. Head Start regulations do not require children with disabilities to meet income eligibility requirements; any child who has a delay or disability is eligible.

Head Start programs typically run from September through May. They may break for a winter recess in the months of December and January. When collaborating with Head Start programs it is helpful to let them know sometime during the month of April how many children with disabilities or delays you for see attending their program in following fall. Because Head Start is a federally regulated program, they have many rules and requirements just as special education programs do. It is critical for ECSE personnel to be knowledgeable of Head Start regulations to help reduce barriers to effective services and collaborative teaming.