Ohio Head Start Association

What Ohio Head Start Association does

The Ohio Head Start Association, Inc. (OHSAI) is a private 501(c)(3) professional membership organization and the designated statewide voice for Ohio's Head Start and Early Head Start grantees, staff, and families. It serves approximately 60 Head Start programs operating across all 88 Ohio counties, which together support roughly 25,000 children annually. The organization is governed by a board drawn from member programs and led by Executive Director Julie H. Stone, with a small staff of three to five including a Director of Programming and Advocacy and a Programming Coordinator.

OHSAI's core offerings fall into four functional areas: professional development and IACET-accredited continuing education delivered through recurring annual events (August Training Institute in Columbus, June Leadership Conference in Mason, plus Social Work Conference and virtual cohorts), advocacy representation to federal and state policymakers, member toolkits (Advocacy, Categorical Eligibility, Child Recruitment, Staff Recruitment, Site Visit), and the Ohio Parent Advocacy Network (OPAN), a parent training program with 150+ trained alumni who advocate at local, state, and national levels. It also operates a statewide Head Start program locator directory through the MemberLeap association management platform; no proprietary technology is developed or owned.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring professional membership dues from Ohio Head Start grantees and their staff, supplemented by event registration fees, CEU programming, and a visible sponsorship stack (Platinum, Silver, Bronze tiers) for annual events. The organization maintains no disclosed financials and is not a participant in private capital markets. Strategic positioning is anchored by long-tenured relationships with the federal Office of Head Start, the Ohio Department of Children & Youth, the National Head Start Association, and coalition partners including Groundwork Ohio and the First Five Years Fund, with 2025-2026 activity centered on the 'Head Start Works for Ohio' issue brief and a Statewide Needs Assessment.

Name

Ohio Head Start Association

Legal name

Ohio Head Start Association, Inc.

Website

https://ohsai.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ohio Head Start Association (OHSAI) is a private nonprofit professional membership organization serving Ohio's approximately 60 Head Start and Early Head Start grantees, their staff, and the families they support across all 88 Ohio counties. It delivers IACET-accredited professional development, advocacy, and the Ohio Parent Advocacy Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Advocacy and Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Professional development training
• Membership association services
• Advocacy and policy
• Continuing education accreditation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Membership Dues: OHSAI operates as a professional membership organization serving Ohio's Head Start grantees, staff, and families. Revenue is generated through membership dues from Head Start programs and associated staff members across Ohio's 88 counties.
2. Professional Development Events and CEUs: The organization offers IACET-accredited professional development content and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) through training events, conferences, and virtual cohorts. Revenue is generated through event registration fees and professional development programming.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Ohio Head Start Association, Inc. (OHSAI) is a non-profit professional membership organization that provides leadership, professional development, research, and advocacy services to Ohio's Head Start and Early Head Start grantees, staff, and families across all 88 Ohio counties. It is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and authorized to issue IACET CEUs through training events, conferences, and virtual cohorts. OHSAI also operates the Ohio Parent Advocacy Network (OPAN), a parent leadership and advocacy training program.

Product overview

The Ohio Head Start Association (OHSAI) is a professional membership organization rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist of advocacy services, professional development programming, and member resources. The core offerings include the Ohio Parent Advocacy Network (OPAN) parent training program, IACET-accredited continuing education through annual conferences and virtual cohorts, advocacy toolkits for programs, and a Head Start locator directory. These services work together to support Head Start grantees, staff, and families across Ohio's 88 counties through leadership development, collaborative relationships, and advocacy at state and federal levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OPAN: Ohio Parent Advocacy Network - a parent leadership program that trains parents to advocate for Head Start and Early Childhood Education at local, state, and national levels. OPAN has trained over 150 parents and started an alumni group.

Quantifiable outcome

• $7-$17 economic return per dollar invested in Head Start
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Ohio Department of Children & YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHSAI partners with the Ohio Department of Children & Youth, which oversees the Head Start Collaboration Office, Early Learning Standards, and child care information. The Department and OHSAI collaborate on statewide needs assessments and align on goals including reducing infant mortality, decreasing foster care entry, and increasing kindergarten readiness.
• Groundwork OhiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHSAI partnered with Groundwork Ohio to commission a statewide survey on child care access and produced the 'Head Start Works for Ohio' issue brief (2025). Groundwork Ohio provides Head Start Ohio County Data Sheets and serves as a key coalition partner for advocacy efforts.
• Office of Head Start / Head Start Collaboration OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHSAI partners with the federal Office of Head Start and the state Head Start Collaboration Office. Collaboration Office Director Lori Perkins partnered with OHSAI on the Statewide Needs Assessment (February 2026). Federal Director Lizbeth Casco White visited Ohio program sites in June 2026.
• National Head Start Association (NHSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHSAI works closely with NHSA, with Executive Director Julie Stone attending NHSA Winter Leadership Institute in Washington, DC. OHSAI directors participate in national conversations alongside other state association leaders.
• OCCRRA (Ohio Child Care Resource & Referral Association)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCCRRA is listed as a key resource partner, providing child care information and resources to the Head Start community in Ohio.
• Ohio Department of HealthsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio Department of Health is listed as a key resource partner, supporting Head Start programs with health-related services and information.
• First Five Years FundsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with OHSAI and Groundwork Ohio on the statewide survey regarding child care access and support. First Five Years Fund provides national polling data on child care priorities.
• International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET)coreOthersOHSAI is accredited by IACET and authorized to issue the IACET CEU. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. OHSAI must re-apply and be reauthorized every five years.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Zero to Three: National organization focused on early childhood development from birth to age three, overlapping with Early Head Start's infant and toddler focus. Comparable in professional development and policy advocacy for the same developmental window.
• National Head Start Association: The national umbrella membership organization for Head Start programs across the U.S. OHSAI is the Ohio state affiliate and works closely with NHSA on federal advocacy, leadership development, and national policy conversations.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): The largest national professional membership organization for early childhood educators. While not Head Start-specific, NAEYC addresses overlapping audiences and policy issues in early childhood education, professional development, and accreditation.
• First Five Years Fund: A national early childhood advocacy organization that partnered with OHSAI on statewide child care access polling. Comparable in advocacy and federal policy work targeting Head Start and early learning funding.

Direct peers

• California Head Start Association: California's state Head Start membership association providing advocacy, training, and member support to Head Start and Early Head Start grantees. Directly comparable scope, structure, and stakeholder base to OHSAI.
• Texas Head Start Association: State-level Head Start membership association for Texas grantees. Operates the same professional development, advocacy, and member services model as OHSAI, scaled to a larger geographic footprint.
• Pennsylvania Head Start Association: A peer state-level Head Start membership association offering the same mix of advocacy, professional development, CEU training, and grantee support for Head Start programs in Pennsylvania. Directly comparable in mission and operating model to OHSAI.

Emerging players

• Council for Professional Recognition: Administers the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, the primary national credential for Head Start teachers. OHSAI's CEU offerings overlap with CDA-related professional development pathways for the same workforce.

Regional players

• Groundwork Ohio: An Ohio-focused early childhood advocacy and research organization. OHSAI co-produced the 'Head Start Works for Ohio' issue brief with Groundwork Ohio, and they share policy goals on child care access and kindergarten readiness.
• OCCRRA (Ohio Child Care Resource & Referral Association): Ohio's statewide child care resource and referral network, listed as a key resource partner on OHSAI's site. Serves overlapping early childhood stakeholders in Ohio but focuses on child care rather than Head Start specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OhioHeadStart
• Facebookfacebook.com/headstartohio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ohioheadstart

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ohio Head Start Association