A new early-learning school opened Aug. 20 in Fulshear's Cross Creek West community, adding a childcare option in the second-fastest-growing city in America.

Children's Lighthouse of Cross Creek West, at 31631 Fulshear Bend Drive near Highway 359 and I-10, serves infants through school-age children. The school offers infant and toddler programs, preschool and Pre-K classes, and before- and after-school care with homework support, according to a company press release published in the Katy Times.

Owner Emily Fernando, a multi-unit franchise operator who has been with Children's Lighthouse for more than a decade, already runs two other locations in Fort Bend County. Cross Creek West is her third.

"One of our goals is to instill a love for lifelong learning in every child who walks through our doors," Fernando said in the press release.

The school uses Children's Lighthouse's Pathways curriculum, which the company says is rooted in Bloom's Taxonomy and includes monthly character-value themes such as responsibility, respect and citizenship. The company emphasizes small class sizes across its programs.

Children's Lighthouse Franchise Company, founded in Fort Worth in 1997, has more than 70 franchised schools in operation and 25 more in its development pipeline. Michael Brown, president of the franchise company, said the opening reflects growing demand for early education as Fulshear's population surges.

The school sits in Cross Creek West, a 1,258-acre master-planned community developed by Johnson Development along FM 359 north of downtown Fulshear. Johnson Development announced Sept. 1 that it is beginning development of the community's north tract, with nearly 250 additional homesites expected by the end of 2026. The community is ultimately planned for more than 3,000 homes. Haygood Elementary School opened within Cross Creek West in August 2025, and two more Lamar Consolidated ISD campuses are scheduled to open in 2027.

Fulshear's population reached an estimated 64,630 residents as of July 1, 2025, up nearly 300% from the U.S. Census Bureau's April 2020 base. The city ranked as the second-fastest-growing in the country for the third consecutive year, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Families interested in enrollment can visit childrenslighthouse.com/crosscreekwest.