Application windows for CCSD’s Early Head Start/Head Start and Pre-K/Child Development programs

Charleston County School District’s (CCSD) Pre-K application process opens Tuesday, January 25, 2022, for the 2022-2023 school year. The full-day Pre-Kindergarten/Child Development programs are for children who will be four years old by September 1, 2022, and allow CCSD to provide full-day instruction for eligible students at no cost to the family.

CCSD will also start accepting applications for Head Start and Early Head Start programs for the 2022-2023 school year on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. Children who enroll in these programs attend at no cost to the family.

Pre-K application

Parents have one of two ways to apply:
1. Online at ccsdschools.com/prek
2. Fill out a paper application. You can request a paper application by emailing [email protected]

Completing a Pre-K application does not guarantee enrollment.

When a family applies for Pre-K, it is for their neighborhood zoned school. Space is limited; parents and guardians are encouraged to apply early.

Head Start or Early Head Start application

In CCSD, Head Start and Early Head Start students receive services from birth to three years old, and pregnant women receive center-based and home-based services. To participate in Head Start and Early Head Start programs, families must meet certain income guidelines, and children must meet specific age requirements. Families with children who have disabilities are encouraged to apply as well.

Both programs are funded through the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

To apply for Head Start or Early Head Start, families are asked to provide the following:

• Proof of gross income for the past 12 months
• Proof of the child’s age
• Proof of residency
• Documentation of child’s IEP/IFSP (if applicable)
• Up to date South Carolina Immunization Certificate
• Medicaid card or private insurance
• Current Physical Exam (must include the blood lead level and hemoglobin)
• Current Dental Exam (according to age)
• Proof of pregnancy (for pregnant woman applying for Early Head Start)

If a family applies to one of the following Child Development (Pre-K)/Head Start collaboration sites, they are also required to provide income documentation:

• E.B. Ellington Elementary
• Midland Park Primary
• Mount Zion Elementary
• W.B. Goodwin Elementary

Space is limited; applications for all Head Start programs are now available on the CCSD website www.ccsdschools.com/headstart. You can also click on the
“Early Learning” icon on the main page of the district website.

For additional information on Early Learning programs offered in CCSD, including Head Start and Early Head Start, please contact the District’s Early
Learning Department at (843) 937-7914.