In 1994, the federal Early Head Start program was created to address the comprehensive needs of low-income children under age 3 and pregnant women. Since 1965, the Head Start program has served low-income 3- and 4-year-old children and their families with comprehensive early education and support services. Programs provide services focused on the "whole child," including early education addressing cognitive, developmental, and socio-emotional needs; medical and dental screenings and referrals; nutritional services; parental involvement activities and referrals to social service providers for the entire family; and mental health services. All Head Start programs are required to complete the Program Information Report (PIR) on an annual basis. Based on information reported through the PIR, this fact sheet describes the characteristics of Early Head Start children and families and the services provided to them during the 2005-2006 program year. In 2006, the Early Head Start program served 85,831 children under age 3 and 10,825 pregnant women through 745 grantees throughout the country. Seven percent of all funded Head Start slots were in Early Head Start. Nationally, just 2.4 percent of eligible children were served by Early Head Start. (Contains 4 footnotes.)