Center for Transforming Lives Earns National Head Start Honor
The Fort Worth nonprofit is one of up to 25 U.S. Head Start providers named a 2026 program of excellence by the National Head Start Association.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Child Care
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The National Head Start Association has designated Center for Transforming Lives a 2026 program of excellence, a status that lasts five years and is kept through annual review. The nonprofit operates three childcare centers throughout Tarrant County and served almost 640 children in the 2026 fiscal year.
Why it matters
The designation recognizes leadership, parent and family engagement, and service quality in early childhood programs. It signals the nonprofit's outcomes for families in the Fort Worth area, where access to quality childcare is a central concern for working parents.
The designation is limited to up to 25 Head Start providers nationwide and lasts five years, subject to annual review. Of nearly 640 children served in fiscal 2026, 10% had experienced homelessness, and 90% were developmentally on track for kindergarten, according to the nonprofit's reported outcomes.
The players
National Head Start Association
The National Head Start Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization that supports the federal Head Start early childhood education program and its providers across the United States.
Center for Transforming Lives
Center for Transforming Lives is a Fort Worth nonprofit that operates three childcare centers in Tarrant County serving young children and their families.
The details
The designation is issued to programs that excel in leadership, parent and family engagement, and service quality. Center for Transforming Lives reported that 76% of parents of served children were employed or in job training, and 33% increased their income during the fiscal year.
Timeline
2026 fiscal year: almost 640 children served and outcome statistics recorded.
2026: Center for Transforming Lives designated a program of excellence.
Season Trajectory
The National Head Start Association caps the program-of-excellence designation at up to 25 providers nationwide, so each recipient joins a small group. Center for Transforming Lives' recognition places a Fort Worth provider within that limited national set.
Families in Tarrant County looking for Head Start options can use this designation as one factor when comparing programs. Outcome figures such as kindergarten readiness and family employment indicate what parents can expect from a program that holds the designation.
The takeaway
A national designation limited to 25 providers offers families a quick signal of program quality. Checking whether a childcare center holds recognition like this can help parents narrow their search.
Further reading
For more on local options, see Child Care coverage for Fort Worth families.
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Should your community spend more public money on early childhood programs like Head Start?
