The Obama Administration's most recent regulation on designation renewal of Early/Head Start grantees opens opportunities for early childhood programs in some communities to compete with existing grantees for the federal funding. Understanding some of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into Head Start may be helpful to centers deciding whether to enter local grant competitions and make the commitment to serving the most vulnerable of all children and their families. The author's aim in this article is to be clear about just what it means to run a Head Start program. She says they welcome to their community those who are committed to excellence in serving the most disadvantaged children and they embrace the President's goal of offering those children the highest-quality early learning experiences possible. For child care and early childhood education centers that are making decisions right now about whether to apply for Head Start grants, it is her hope that they benefit from this transparency and make their decisions, always, in the best interests of children.