In March, Jennifer May was appointed Pearland assistant city manager.

Diving in deeper: May joins Pearland from the city of Sugar Land, where she served in communications, economic development and managerial roles for nearly two decades.

What residents should know: May sat down with Community Impact to introduce herself and talk about the city’s strategic goals and how it is navigating recent leadership changes.

Hot & Toned Pilates opened its new studio in Pearland in late February.

What they offer: The studio offers hot mat, reformer and traditional Cadillac Pilates.

New client package deals range from $34-85. Hot mat, reformer and Cadillac classes range from $150-439, and class packs range from $221-401, according to the studio's website.

• 9603 W. Broadway St., Pearland

Harris County Commissioners Court on April 16 greenlit a business development program for child care providers that aims to help more centers qualify for federal subsidies, part of a large-scale effort to increase affordable early education options in the Greater Houston area.

The action taken: The April 16 vote directed the county’s Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity to create an early childcare business accelerator program in partnership with the University of Houston and the Gulf Coast Workforce Board, the two entities developing curriculum for providers.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, who proposed the action in partnership with Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, said the program will provide mentoring and business support with the goal of expanding available child care seats and improving compliance with local and state regulations.

More details: Briones said the county will specifically focus on assisting providers who lack Texas Rising Star certifications—a quality recognition from the Texas Workforce Commission that’s required for centers to qualify for federal support. Only about 55% of Harris County centers are TRS-certified, she said. 

Harris County leaders are gearing up for a sweeping effort to expand affordable access to child care and early learning—a burdensome expense for many families.

The overview: Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia and Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones launched the initiative to tackle local concerns about education options for children under age 5. In January, their offices created the Harris County Coalition on Early Childhood Education and Care, which officials said will help shape local policy and direct state-level reform of subsidized early childhood education during Texas’ 90th legislative session.

The need: Harris County has approximately 166,000 children under age 5 who qualify for subsidized prekindergarten, according to data from county officials. However, federal funding for subsidized care only goes so far.

At least 30,000 eligible children in Harris County are on a waitlist for subsidized care, the data shows, meaning some families must wait over a year for scholarships. 

Another detail: Gov. Greg Abbott announced a Task Force on Early Childhood Education in January, indicating aligned policy goals between Harris County and the state.