Douglas Cherokee Head Start

What Douglas Cherokee Head Start does

Douglas Cherokee Head Start (legal entity Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority, Inc.) is a Tennessee-based non-profit organization that operates the federal Head Start and Early Head Start programs across eight East Tennessee counties: Blount, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Monroe, Sevier, and Union. Founded in 1965 by Rose Hill and currently directed by Curt Amos, the program serves 888 income-eligible participants annually, providing early childhood education and comprehensive support services to children ages 0-5 and pregnant women from low-income families. Eligibility is determined using HHS Poverty Guidelines under Section 645 of the Head Start Act; children from homeless families, families receiving TANF or SSI, and foster children are eligible regardless of income. The organization is headquartered at 127 Cedar Street, Morristown, TN, with an additional central administrative office at 534 East First North Street, Morristown, TN.

Name

Douglas Cherokee Head Start

Legal name

Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority, Inc.

Website

https://dceaheadstart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Douglas Cherokee Head Start is a Tennessee non-profit operating federally-funded Head Start and Early Head Start programs for 888 income-eligible children ages 0-5 and expectant families across eight East Tennessee counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Child Care Services (6244), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH), Comprehensive ECE Curriculum Frameworks (Birth–5) (EDACAJAA)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Head start program
• Early childhood development
• Family support services
• Community education

Headquarters

HQ city

Morristown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Head Start Grant Funding: The program is funded through Grant Number 04CH11603 from the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This is a federal grant-based revenue model supporting the Head Start and Early Head Start programs for income-eligible children ages 0-5.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Douglas Cherokee Head Start operates federally-funded Head Start and Early Head Start programs delivering free early childhood education and comprehensive support services to income-eligible children ages 0-5 and expectant families across eight East Tennessee counties. The programs use Teaching Strategies Creative Curriculum and observation-based assessment, and include medical/dental/mental health services, nutrition, disability services, and family partnership support.

Product overview

Douglas Cherokee Economic Authority Head Start/Early Head Start operates two core programs: Head Start for children ages 3-5 and Early Head Start for pregnant women and children birth to age 3. The programs serve 888 participants across eight East Tennessee counties. The educational approach uses Creative Curriculum (6th Edition for preschool, 3rd Edition for infants/toddlers) combined with Partners for a Healthy Baby for expectant families. Child development is assessed through Teaching Strategies Gold, Brigance Screener III, and ASQ:SE-2. Comprehensive services include family partnerships, disability services, health services, and nutrition programs aligned with USDA/CACFP requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Head Start Program Federal early childhood program for income-eligible children ages 3-5 providing educational activities, free medical and dental care, healthy meals, and developmental support to prepare children to succeed in school.
• Early Head Start Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 888 children served annually across 8 counties

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Teaching StrategiescoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides Creative Curriculum 6th edition for preschool and Infants/Toddlers and Two's 3rd edition for Early Head Start, and Teaching Strategies Gold assessment system - the foundational educational framework and assessment tools for the program.
• Florida State University (FSU)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides Partners for a Healthy Baby curriculum used as supplemental curriculum for expectant families, offering health education and resources to support healthy pregnancy and baby development.
• Local Education Agencies (LEAs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Local Education Agencies to provide services for children with disabilities, supporting inclusion of children with disabilities in Head Start settings alongside typically developing peers.
• Dolly's Imagination LibraryminorOthersProgram promotes Dolly's Imagination Library to parents, providing free books to children to support early literacy development.
• USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)coreOthersProgram participates in USDA CACFP regulations to provide nutritious meals and snacks to children according to USDA nutritional standards.
• Local LibrariesminorOthersPartners with local libraries including Blount County Library, Maynardville Public Library, and Tennessee Electronic Library to support family literacy programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• National Head Start Association (NHSA): National membership organization representing Head Start grantees including Douglas Cherokee Head Start; provides policy advocacy, training, and shared services to similar programs.
• Teaching Strategies: Curriculum and assessment vendor whose Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies Gold products are used by Douglas Cherokee Head Start; a key ecosystem participant for any Head Start/Early Head Start program.

Direct peers

• Memphis-Shelby County Head Start: Large urban Head Start grantee in West Tennessee operating under identical Office of Head Start regulations with a substantially larger funded enrollment base.
• Chattanooga-Hamilton County Head Start: Regional Head Start grantee operating in Tennessee with the same federal funding mechanism and birth-to-five early childhood education model.
• East Tennessee Human Resource Agency Head Start: Federally-funded Head Start and Early Head Start grantee serving a multi-county region in East Tennessee with a comparable service model, governance structure, and federal funding profile to Douglas Cherokee Head Start.
• Nashville Metro Action Commission Head Start: Head Start grantee in Davidson County, Tennessee using the same federal grant mechanism and serving income-eligible children 0-5 with a comparable wraparound service model.
• Knox County Head Start (Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee): Community Action Agency administering Head Start/Early Head Start in Knox County, Tennessee under the same federal grant framework as Douglas Cherokee Head Start.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children US Programs: Large nonprofit operating Head Start and Early Head Start programs across multiple states under the same federal framework; broader portfolio but directly comparable service delivery model.
• Smart Start of North Carolina: Statewide early childhood public-private partnership funding pre-K and early childhood services; broader scope but operates in the same early childhood education space as Douglas Cherokee Head Start.

Regional players

• Cherokee Nation Head Start: Tribal Head Start grantee operating in Oklahoma with the same federal funding source and birth-to-five early childhood education model, but in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Pinterestpinterest.com/dceahs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/douglas-cherokee-head-start

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Douglas Cherokee Head Start