Contact Us/Help
The Office of Head Start (OHS) welcomes your suggestions as a way to continuously improve our services to the early childhood community.
To speak to a live representative, call toll-free (1-866-763-6481) Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. ET.
Select this link to send a Question or Suggestion to our customer service staff.
File a Complaint
OHS's Central and Regional Program Offices work together to make sure Head Start programs meet federal requirements for the health, safety, and education of the children in their care and for program design and operation.
Local organizations who receive funds for Head Start programs are responsible for the management of their agencies, including written and approved personnel policies and procedures.
Federal Issues and Complaints
If you are reasonably certain that a program is in violation of federal requirements or is misusing federal funds, submit a complaint against the program using the Complaints Submission Form.
You may also report suspected or confirmed fraud or waste in a Head Start program directly to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General.
Examples of federal issues and complaints include:
- Mistreatment of children, parents, or guardians
- Poor quality of care and/or education of children in the program
- Unsafe conditions
- Suspected misuse of funds
Local Issues and Complaints
If you have concerns about personnel or human resource practices within a Head Start program, first address those concerns with the management staff of the program. The next step, if not resolved, would include addressing the issue with the Governing Body of the grantee agency.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provides information on labor laws and guidance on compliance assistance to protect the wages, health benefits, retirement security, employment rights, safety, and health of America’s workforce, including migrant farmworkers.
The DOL provides contact information for each state's local Labor Office through their Wage and Hour Division.
Last Reviewed: January 2013
Last Updated: January 18, 2013