CDI Head Start

What CDI Head Start does

CDI Head Start (Community Development Institute Head Start) is a Denver, Colorado-based non-profit organization that serves as an interim manager of federal Head Start and Early Head Start programs across the United States. Its core function is operational: when a local Head Start grantee can no longer operate, the U.S. Office of Head Start (OHS) assigns CDI to take over and run the program on a temporary basis until a permanent successor is selected. CDI is structurally barred from becoming the permanent grant recipient, meaning its role is continuity-of-service rather than long-term program ownership.\n\nThe organization's product surface is direct service delivery to low-income preschool children (Head Start) and infants and toddlers (Early Head Start), including early childhood education, health and developmental screenings, family engagement, and — through a partnership with the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) — meals and snacks. Operationally, CDI is currently running programs across 11 states: Virginia, Indiana, Washington, Michigan, Montana, Arkansas, California, Missouri, Louisiana, Maryland, and Delaware.\n\nThe business model is federal pass-through funding. CDI receives Head Start grant dollars from OHS to administer each assigned program area; revenue is therefore a function of how many program areas CDI is assigned and the enrollment and per-child funding levels within each. Because CDI cannot retain programs permanently, revenue is event-driven and tied to the lifecycle of interim management engagements rather than to a recurring customer base. The single material counterparty is the federal government, making CDI effectively a federal contracting intermediary for early childhood education services.

Name

CDI Head Start

Legal name

Community Development Institute Head Start

Website

https://cdiheadstart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

CDI Head Start is a Denver-based non-profit that the U.S. Office of Head Start designates as an interim manager of Head Start and Early Head Start programs in 11 states, running early childhood education services until a permanent grantee is selected.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (6244), Child Care Services (624410)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Head start programs
• Early head start
• Interim program management
• Pre-kindergarten services

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Head Start Grant Funding: CDI Head Start receives short-term grants at the same funding amount as the previous grant recipient. Funding supports local Head Start staff salaries, classrooms and facilities, meals, transportation, supplies, and child and family services. Separate from local grant funding, the National Interim Management Contract from the Office of Head Start provides funding for interim management support staff.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CDI Head Start operates as a non-profit interim manager for Head Start and Early Head Start programs, providing early childhood education services to children ages 0-5 from low-income families. The organization is assigned by the Office of Head Start (OHS) when local providers can no longer operate, ensuring continuity of services for enrolled families across multiple U.S. states.

Product overview

CDI Head Start operates a suite of early childhood education programs serving children from birth to age 5 and their families. The core offerings include Early Head Start Center-Based, Head Start Center-Based Preschool, Early Head Start Home-Based, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, and Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships. Additionally, CDI Head Start provides Interim Head Start Services—a temporary management solution for communities where existing Head Start providers can no longer operate. The organization functions as an interim manager assigned by the Office of Head Start, maintaining program continuity while supporting local staff, families, and communities during transitions until a permanent grant recipient is selected.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Head Start Program

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Office of Head Start (OHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDI Head Start is assigned as interim manager by the Office of Head Start (OHS) when Head Start or Early Head Start providers can no longer operate. Programs may be assigned to interim management when a grant recipient relinquishes funding, is under suspension, or has its grant terminated by OHS. CDI HS cannot become the permanent grant recipient.
• USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDI Head Start programs use USDA CACFP to provide nutritious, reimbursed meals and snacks to children, promoting healthy eating habits through USDA-aligned standards.
• Office of Head Start Operations CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerContact center for questions about the selection process for new long-term grant recipients. Phone: (866) 796-1591.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• KinderCare Learning Companies: KinderCare is one of the largest private early childhood education providers in the U.S., operating thousands of centers. It is comparable to CDI Head Start in multi-site center-based early childhood delivery, though it serves fee-paying families rather than federally-eligible low-income populations.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Bright Horizons is a large-scale provider of early childhood education and care services, operating employer-sponsored and community-based centers. While private-sector and fee-based, it shares the operational model of multi-site center-based early childhood services with CDI Head Start.
• National Head Start Association (NHSA): NHSA is the national membership organization for Head Start grantees and operates in the same early childhood ecosystem as CDI Head Start. While NHSA focuses on advocacy and member services rather than direct program operation, both organizations serve the Head Start community and interact with the Office of Head Start as key stakeholders.

Others

• Teaching Strategies: Teaching Strategies provides curriculum, assessment, and professional development tools for early childhood education programs, including Head Start. While not a direct operating peer, it supplies the curriculum and tools used by programs like CDI Head Start's classrooms.
• ChildPlus (ChildPlus.net): ChildPlus provides data management and reporting software specifically designed for Head Start and Early Head Start programs. CDI Head Start uses childplus.net for its family application portal, making it a key technology vendor.

Direct peers

• Child Development Inc. (CDI): Child Development Inc. is the parent organization of CDI Head Start and operates Head Start programs and other early childhood services. As the operational parent, it shares the same management model, governance approach, and federal funding relationships as CDI Head Start.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cdi-head-start

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 CDI Head Start