Silver Lake, Los Angeles Fall 2026 · Pending licensure

Elevated childcare
for the earliest years.

A prepared infant studio and garden for four children at a time, cared for every day by the same two people: Jess and Gillian.

Join the waitlist Meet Jess & Gillian

Joining the waitlist is free, and it isn’t a commitment to enroll.

Four children · 1:2 ratio Tues–Thurs · 8 AM–4 PM Continuity through age 3
A small wooden archway and cube beside a glass jar of fresh herb cuttings, draped with soft rainbow silks — natural materials from the Infant Atelier studio.

The intimacy of private care. The thoughtfulness of a prepared studio. California licensure before care begins.

1:2
One caregiver for every two children
4
Children in one stable cohort
2
Jess and Gillian, familiar caregivers

Infant Atelier is designed to operate as a California small family child care home in a separate, purpose-prepared unit. Licensing is in progress and will be complete before care begins.

“I was a first-time mom and Jess was a balm for my uncertainty and worry during those early years. She was always warm, communicative, and flexible.”

Yen, San Francisco Former nanny family

The first years are foundational.

In infancy and early toddlerhood, care is not separate from development. The way a child is held, spoken to, fed, comforted, watched, and given room to move helps shape safety, trust, regulation, and confidence. Here, care is designed around that responsibility.

Small by design.

Four children and two adults, so each baby can be known, noticed, and cared for without hurry.

Time to respond

With one adult for every two children, care can follow a baby’s cues instead of a crowded room’s pace.

People your baby knows

The same two adults learn your baby’s rhythms, preferences, and ways of communicating over time.

A prepared studio and garden

A separate, purpose-prepared unit with open floor space, a quiet sleep room, a shaded outdoor terrace, and a bathroom with a Montessori-style potty-learning area and toddler handwashing station.

What the days feel like.

Unhurried care, open movement, long stretches of child-led play, and time outdoors. There is a dependable rhythm, without overscheduling or pressure to perform.

  1. 01

    Care that is never rushed

    Cues are noticed. Routines stay predictable. There is time to respond without rushing.

    Steady limits, confidently held

    Respectful care includes steady limits. When big feelings or hard moments arise, adults stay close, calm, and clear, offering support without shame or harshness.

  2. 02

    Freedom to move

    Babies spend real time on the floor: reaching, rolling, crawling, pulling up, and practicing what their bodies are ready for. No walkers or bouncers.

  3. 03

    Play that begins with the child

    A baby watches, reaches, pours, stacks, listens, and returns to an idea. Adults observe carefully without turning every discovery into a lesson.

  4. 04

    Real materials and outdoor time

    Water, light, baskets, blocks, music, plants, and changing weather offer sensory experiences without overstimulation.

  5. 05

    Everyday routines with dignity

    Feeding, diapering, transitions, and shared meals are treated as meaningful moments of connection, not tasks to hurry through.

  6. 06

    Rest apart from the play space

    A separate, quiet sleep room protects rest while the rest of the cohort continues its day.

Every choice has a reason.

The small scale, steady relationships, respectful routines, free movement, and prepared environment are intentional choices, grounded in child development research and pediatric guidance.

Science & sources Read the science behind the approach
Portrait of Jess Makram, founder of Infant Atelier.

Meet Jess Makram.

Jess has spent 18 years as a nanny and child development professional, working closely with families in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Becoming a mother made her want to build the kind of infant care she had spent her career imagining.

She is a New Parent Educator (CAPPA) and a Credentialed Nanny through the International Nanny Association, trained in RIE®, including the Nurturing Nanny® and Foundations® programs.

Read Jess’s journal Follow on Substack
Read more

She is CPR/First Aid certified and holds an Advanced Child Care Training certificate from the American Red Cross. Her work is also informed by training with the Zen Caregiving Project, which deepened her attention to presence, compassionate care, and staying grounded with families.

Her work is RIE®-influenced without being dogmatic, and shaped by current child development thinking: responsive relationships, co-regulation, freedom of movement, sensory integration, and open-ended play. She is also inspired by early childhood traditions including Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia.

Her experience as a nanny placement agent also shaped the way she thinks about caregiver-family fit, communication, and the trust parents place in the people caring for their children.

Parent education workshops for new and expecting parents are planned for the future, with a focus on postpartum planning, infant care confidence, and the everyday questions of early family life.

Selected training and background

  • 18 years in child development
  • New Parent Educator, CAPPA
  • Credentialed Nanny, International Nanny Association
  • CPR/First Aid certified
  • Advanced Child Care Training, American Red Cross
  • Mother, artist, music lover, and lifelong learner

Trusted in the moments that feel big.

Families describe Jess as calm, communicative, deeply attentive, and a reassuring presence through the uncertainty of early parenthood.

Read their words

We’d love to meet your family.

Three founding-family places are planned for Fall 2026 near the Silver Lake Reservoir, pending California licensure. Infant Atelier combines the intimacy of private care with a thoughtfully prepared studio and garden. No care, enrollment agreement, or payment will begin before a family child care license is issued.

Tell us about your family →

Joining the waitlist is free, and it isn’t a commitment to enroll.

Still deciding? Read the evidence Read kind words