The Early Head Start program at the Maryland Rural Development Corporation (MRDC) is ending in Caroline and Cecil Counties on September 2, 2026, the MRDC said Thursday in a letter to families.

The program supports children's growth from birth to age five in areas related to learning and development.

The MRDC is the Head Start provider for Caroline, Kent, and Cecil Counties. In a letter written by MRDC Executive Director Charles Huester, the organization said it was shocked after recently learning that it would not be funded by the Office of Head Start.

"We recently learned that we would not be funded, and this has come as a shock to us, particularly given the Office of Head Start has failed to communicate or confirm there would be no funding for either county," the MRDC wrote in part.

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