EDC and Georgetown to Continue Leadership of National Head Start Center
Education Development Center (EDC) and partner Georgetown University’s Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities (Thrive Center) have received $4.8 M in funding from the Office of Head Start (OHS) to continue our leadership of the National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety through September 29, 2027.
Head Start has improved the health and school success of 40 million children in low-income communities since its founding in 1965. In the 2025–2026 program year, Head Start programs served 781,879 children ages birth to 5 and pregnant women nationwide.
Since 2020, EDC and the Thrive Center have produced 1,819 resources and led 1,014 training and technical assistance events to build the capacity of Head Start and other early childhood programs to:
- Support young children’s healthy development, including good nutrition and physical activity
- Promote the safety of children, families, and staff
- Strengthen services to improve child and family well-being
- Implement strategies to support workplaces that value staff wellness
- Support the professional development of the early childhood workforce through online courses on the OHS learning platform
“We are so glad to continue this important work with OHS, the Head Start community, other early childhood providers, and families to make sure our nation’s young children have a strong start to life,” said Nancy Topping-Tailby, EDC Senior Project Director and co-Principal Investigator of the Center.
Our team will continue to develop and deliver effective resources and TTA. Key activities will include hosting in-person learning events on health- and safety-related topics, offering our popular office hour sessions, delivering virtual TTA by request, and adapting materials for use in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
EDC’s and the Thrive Center’s consortium partners include the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors; Choosy Kids: Illuminate Colorado; and the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center.
We invite you to learn more about EDC’s Early Childhood Development & Learning, Child Health & Safety, and Maternal Health & Home Visiting work.
