Community Development Institute is the only organization ever awarded national work as an interim operator of programs by the Federal Office of Head Start (OHS).

OHS appoints CDI Head Start interim operator of Head Start and Early Head Start programs when the current grantee's (the entity operating the program) responsibility ceases. Since 2000, Community Development Institute Head Start (CDI HS) has provided interim services to over 200 programs in 43 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and served well over 100,000 children.. At times, we have operated over 40 programs simultaneously and employed nearly 3,000 program staff.

Our efforts during interim management focus on raising the level of program performance in terms of program quality, management systems, fiscal operations, and health and safety conditions. We know firsthand how to work with programs and improve their practices to better serve some of the country’s most vulnerable children.

CDI is able to conduct comprehensive rapid startup and transition of business and services with little to no disruption, while being respectful and collaborative with both prior grantee and replacement grantee. Our track record is rooted in our management philosophy of strengths-based, high performance work system principles.