Head start and early head start

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families awarded Total Community Action Inc. $34.484 million on January 1, 2026, under the Head Start program (CFDA 93.600), a five-year project grant extending through December 31, 2030.

Total Community Action Inc., a New Orleans-based nonprofit community action agency, delivers comprehensive early childhood education and family support services for low-income children and families in the Greater New Orleans area. The award funds traditional Head Start services for three- and four-year-old children and Early Head Start services for infants, toddlers, and pregnant women. Services encompass early learning, health, nutrition, social-emotional development, and family engagement across Louisiana.

The recipient is required to provide a 20 percent non-federal match and must meet federal performance standards related to school readiness outcomes, health metrics, and applicable federal compliance requirements. The organization operates as both a prime recipient of federal grants and a sub-recipient on food-nutrition and youth-development programs, with 76 percent of its recent federal awards flowing through state-agency pass-through grantees. Total Community Action Inc. also holds an Early Head Start Child Care Partnership grant (CFDA 93.600) dated September 1, 2024, through August 31, 2029, funded separately from this award.