Tala Hooban is the acting director of the Office of Head Start (OHS) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As a public health professional, she brings expertise in how children, families, and systems can thrive — which is an asset to the comprehensive services that Head Start programs implement in partnership with communities across the country.
Throughout her career, Tala has worked to make sure government agencies are supported to deliver strong outcomes for children and families. Tala is a trusted leader at ACF, where she has helped coordinate care for the increased numbers of migrant children at the border and played a vital role spurring action throughout the government to meet children’s needs for safe and supportive environments. She also authored a groundbreaking approach to emergency planning centered on young children and families, which has been adopted by states.
Tala is a commissioned officer of the U.S Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, with the rank of Captain. The Public Health Service is one of our country’s uniformed services and has the mission of advancing public health in the U.S. through service in federal agencies across the government.
Tala received a Master of Public Health degree from the George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in public health from James Madison University. Tala’s academic studies were focused on maternal and child health.
OHS Organization
OHS has 12 Regional Offices that support the grants administration, oversight, and training and technical assistance. These offices are located in:
- Boston, MA
- New York, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Atlanta, GA
- Chicago, IL
- Kansas City, MO
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
The Regional Offices for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs are located in Washington, DC.