Step Forward has served residents of Greater Cleveland for 55 years. The Community Action Agency formed in 1964 in response to Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty.

In the past half a century, we have helped thousands of Greater Cleveland residents. We understand how hard it can be to make ends meet and how difficult it is to ask for help or know where to start. Step Forward counselors, coaches and teachers work with each individual or family to sort through the chaos and connect them with help to restore hope in the future. We do this by addressing four key areas:

1. Step Forward is one of the State’s leading providers of Head Start, the preschool program that offers a holistic approach to learning for children and their families.

2. Assisting people with job placement and earning a living wage or higher; Step Forward career planning and job training opportunities enable people to learn or improve skills, earn certification or improve readiness to pursue and win better job opportunities.

3. Encouraging and teaching personal development; Our Neighborhood Opportunity Centers help low-income individuals and families access resources and support to address immediate needs and build long-term skills and opportunities to transform their lives.

4. Step Forward helps ensure Cuyahoga County residents are warm in the winter and cool in the summer through energy assistance programs that help low-income individuals and families with their home energy bills during crisis and non-emergency situations.

For decades, we quietly, steadfastly opened our doors to help low-income individuals and families in Cuyahoga County take steps toward brighter futures. Throughout our 55-year history, we continuously evolved to meet people’s changing needs as the barriers and challenges of poverty changed.

Our new name, Step Forward, reflects the next step forward for the organization to continue to be a vital resource to Cuyahoga County and the low-income residents who call it home.

By stepping forward, we can help transform more lives and further strengthen our communities. We are stepping forward, but we are not walking away from the legacy of our organization. In fact, throughout our history we have shown that we must continuously takes steps to help us better serve low-income individuals and families in our community.

To learn more about the name change from our President and CEO, Dr. Jacklyn Chisholm, please click here.

All customers must be Cuyahoga County residents. The majority of Step Forward’s programs also have income requirements in order to qualify. Requirements differ based on the specific program.

To find out if you qualify for our Early Head Start and/or Head Start programs, please call (216) 589-9922.

To find out if you qualify for one of our personal or professional development courses, please call the Neighborhood Opportunity Center nearest you.

Our programs take applications throughout the year.

Head Start and Early Head Start are always enrolling children and families at their locations throughout Cuyahoga County. If a particular center is full, you can apply and be placed on a waiting list. The center will contact you as soon as a spot is available.

The Personal Development/Family Development and Professional Development programs accept applications throughout the year at all of our locations.

Step Forward's Home Energy Assistance Program has a select number of programs available year-round.

• The HEAP Winter Crisis Program operates from November 1st – March 31st. No new applications are accepted after March 31. For applications in process on or before March 31, all documentation for the Winter Crisis Program must be submitted to Step Forward's HEAP office by April 9, 2024. Documentation submitted after April 7th, 2024 is at risk of not being processed.

• The HEAP Summer Cooling program operates from July 1st – August 31st.

We apologize for the login difficulties you're experiencing. For technical support with energyhelp.ohio.gov, please click 'Contact Us' on the website. You can also reach the Ohio Department of Development's business response line at (800) 848-1300. In some cases, you may be referred to Step Forward for assistance, along with specific instructions to resolve the issue.

Starting in 2025, Ohio’s Energy Assistance Programs (energyhelp.ohio.gov) will require an OH|ID—a secure, single sign-on for Ohio state services. When the transition occurs, you’ll be directed to sign in with OH|ID when accessing these portals, including Step Forward’s Energy Assistance Program pages.

Step Forward has nine Head Start centers, two Opportunity Centers, and two Home Energy Assistance Program Centers located throughout Cuyahoga County.

Please click here to find the location that is most convenient for you.