Berks County Head Start Free Preschool for Qualifying Families

Berks County Head Start, run by the Berks County Intermediate Unit, is a free preschool program for qualifying families, paid for with state and federal funds. It serves 505 students in 30 classrooms throughout Berks County, and all efforts are made to enroll children in locations near their homes.

Classrooms operate 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, following a typical school year format. Along with early learning education, the program offers school readiness development, parent involvement and engagement, mental health and disability support, social services, and health and nutrition support.

The Berks County Intermediate Unit describes its free preschool programs, Head Start and Pre-K Counts, as serving qualifying families with children between the ages of 3 and 5. The Head Start page does not print an income limit, so call to find out whether your child qualifies.

To enroll your child, you can download the application through the link on the Head Start page at berksiu.org, or contact the Head Start Program at 610-987-8595. For information in Spanish, call the same number, 610-987-8595.

Return your completed application along with: - a current copy of your child's immunization record - physical - dental exam - evidence of your previous year's income

Submitting the required documents will expedite the enrollment process. The page does not say where to return the application, how long enrollment takes, or whether there is a waiting list, so ask when you call.

The Berks County Intermediate Unit's office is at 1111 Commons Blvd, Reading, PA 19605, and its general contact number is 610-987-2248. That is the agency's main line, not a classroom. The page does not give office hours or the addresses of the individual Head Start classrooms.

Source: berksiu.org/page/berks-county-head-start, read September 18, 2026.

The details

Call610-987-8595English, Spanish
Who it’s for
State- and Federally-Funded, Free Preschool Options for Qualifying Families
Kids, Families
Cost
State- and Federally-Funded, Free Preschool Options for Qualifying Families
How to apply
To enroll your child, you can download the application through the link below or contact the Head Start Program at 610-987-8595 o para información en español llame al 610-987-8595. Return your completed application along with a current copy of your child’s immunization record, physical, and dental exam. Please also include evidence of your previous year’s income.
Read the rest

Submitting the required documents will expedite your enrollment process.

Apply with Berks County Intermediate Unit
What to bring
  • a current copy of your child’s immunization record
  • physical
  • dental exam
  • evidence of your previous year’s income
When
Classrooms operate 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, following a typical school year format.
WhereAnywhere in Berks County
CheckedChecked September 18, 2026

In Berks County Intermediate Unit’s words

The Berks County Head Start program serves 505 students in 30 classrooms throughout Berks County. All efforts are made to enroll children in locations near their homes. Classrooms operate 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, following a typical school year format. The Head Start program offers high-quality early learning education in conjunction with comprehensive services, including school readiness development, parent involvement and engagement, mental health and disability support, social services,…

Organization

Berks County Intermediate Unit

Organization profile in our directory →

About this listing

This listing summarizes publicly available information from berksiu.org/page/berks-county-head-start. Last recorded review: September 18, 2026. Contact the provider to confirm eligibility, hours and availability before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us.

All help in Berks County →

More from Berks County Intermediate Unit

Free School and Parenting Support From BCIU ELECT

Countywide

The Berks County Intermediate Unit’s ELECT program helps pregnant and parenting young people work toward a high school diploma or GED while raising their children. Services are free and support young…

From Berks County Intermediate Unit

  • Teens
  • Families
  • Pregnant & new parents

All help from Berks County Intermediate Unit