Each Head Start program must have a formal process for establishing selection criteria and for selecting children and families that considers all eligible applicants for Head Start services. In selecting the children and families to be served, your criteria must be based on the following:

• Income of eligible families; family's income must be within the approved Federal poverty guidelines, families receiving public assistance.
  
• To be eligible for Head Start services, a child must be at least three years of age by the date used to determine eligibility for public schools, except in cases where the Head Start program’s approved grant to serve younger children 1305.4(a).
  
• Children enrolled in Head Start, except those enrolled in migrant programs must be allowed to remain in Head Start until kindergarten or first grade is available.
  
• Children who are in foster care.
  
• Extent to which a child or family meets the criteria that each program is required to establish in 1305.3(d)(6)
  
• Children who are still age-eligible considered as a re-enrollee.
  
• Migrant programs must also give priority to children from families whose pursuit of agricultural work required them to relocate most frequently within the previous two-year period.
  
• Children from income-eligible Indian families native to the reservation living in non-reservation areas, approved as part of the Tribe’s service area.
  
• At least 10 percent of the total number of enrollment opportunities must be made available to children with disabilities.
  
• Head Start programs must develop at the beginning of each enrollment year and maintain during the year a waiting list that ranks children according to the program's selection criteria.
  
• Children who are eligible for collaboratively-funded slots, for more information refer to ACYF-PIQ-CC-99-02.

Source:
45 CFR 1305