FY27 480-50-3707 Head Start

The Head Start State Collaboration Office (HSCO) is a federal-state partnership funded by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Head Start as the state point of contact for Head Start and collaboration to assist in building early childhood systems and access to comprehensive services for all low income children. The Illinois HSCO: • Encourages widespread collaboration between Head Start and other appropriate programs, services and initiatives. • Augments Head Start's capacity to be a partner in State initiatives on behalf of children and families; and • Facilitates Head Start's involvement in state policies, plans, processes, and decisions affecting the Head Start target population. The HSCO accomplishes these purposes by working with Head Start, state, federal and community stakeholders in the eight federal priority areas of child care, education, health, welfare, community services, disabilities, homeless services, and family literacy. The HSCO provides education about Head Start, supplies resources and information to support state and local partnerships, and facilitates the development of statewide agreements.