Acknowledging the increased costs for early childhood education provider operations and the historic inadequacy of current funding streams, LACOE sought to engage in the present study to understand the challenges faced by their Head Start delegates. The purpose of this study is to provide LACOE with an understanding of the projected increases in costs, their impact on program operation costs, and the implications of these challenges on Head Start and Early Head Start slot allocations and long-term planning. This report summarizes both budgetary and qualitative data and provides potential strategies to inform future decisions. (author abstract)