Skip to content
The Little Table

In-home program · Central Colorado Springs · Ages 2 to 5

More than a nanny. Smaller than a daycare.

Four children. One kitchen. One rhythm.

A small home program with a posted weekly schedule, a nutrition-minded kitchen, and kids to learn and play alongside. Monday–Friday, 7:30am–5:30pm.

Felt animation of a week at The Little Table: sensory play, lacing cards, rain boots in fall leaves, a home-cooked breakfast plate, and chia pudding jars.

The hard part

You didn't start too late.

  1. You called around. You got on the lists. Maybe you started while you were pregnant.
  2. The waitlists aren't a planning failure. In El Paso County, licensed child care has room for about 1 in 5 toddlers.*
  3. There just aren't enough spots for toddlers. So we opened two in our home.

* Source: Colorado Children's Campaign, KIDS COUNT in Colorado! 2026, El Paso County page.

The middle option

There's a middle option.

  1. A nanny gives your child one adult's full attention, but no other kids.
  2. A center gives them friends and a schedule, but a bigger group and a longer wait.
  3. The Little Table sits in between: a small home with a real weekly rhythm.

What each option includes

Nanny

Other kids
Not usually
Group size
One child
Schedule
Up to you
Meals
You provide
Field trips
Up to you
Updates
Up to you
Price
Hourly wage, plus employer payroll taxes

Center

Other kids
Yes
Group size
A classroom group
Schedule
Yes
Meals
Varies
Field trips
Varies
Updates
Varies
Price
Varies

The Little Table

Other kids
Four children who eat, work and play together
Group size
Four children, total
Schedule
Posted, and sent to you before each week
Meals
Home-cooked from clean and organic ingredients, included
Field trips
Weekly, included
Updates
A daily report, plus a monthly growth update
Price
$19 an hour per child, meals included

How we learn

Our days follow your child's lead. Montessori-inspired, hands-on work invites them to do things themselves, stay with a task, and enjoy it.

The week runs on a posted schedule, with time in our fenced outdoor area and a field trip every week. Children move between the classroom's activity areas at their own pace.

Small hands working on a lacing card at the activity table

Attention

One-on-one attention, without hiring a nanny.

  1. Colorado's rules for small family care homes cap us at four children, counting our own two. That leaves two seats. Each one fits a Sprout (ages 2 to 3) or an Explorer (ages 3 to 5).
  2. With four children, every child is known by name, mood, and nap time.
  3. Four children, two seats. They eat, work and play together all day.
  • Two seats are open now for Sprouts or Explorers.

The proof

See the plate. See the day. See who's in the house.

The kitchen

Every meal is home-cooked from clean and organic ingredients, planned by Shairie Espino, who is pursuing certification as a holistic nutrition coach (certification pending), and tailored to your child. Breakfast, lunch, and two snacks are included; dinner is at home. You get the meal plan before each week starts.

See a sample menu

A Korean BBQ-style bowl of ground meat with carrots and green onion over rice, with apple slices, cucumber and grapes

The week

A weekly activity schedule, posted on the wall and sent to you before the week begins. You'll know what the day holds before it starts.

  1. 7:30 am–8:30 amArrival, free play and breakfast
  2. 8:30 am–9:45 amCircle time, story time and book club
  3. 9:45 am–10:45 amActivity of the day
  4. 10:45 am–12:00 pmMorning snack and outdoor play
  5. 12:00 pm–1:00 pmLunch
  6. 1:00 pm–3:00 pmNap and quiet time
  7. 3:00 pm–3:30 pmAfternoon snack
  8. 3:30 pm–4:30 pmTheme activity
  9. 4:30 pm–5:30 pmIndependent play until pickup

The reports

A daily report, plus a monthly growth update.

The cameras

Cameras where children play, learn, eat and travel. None in bathrooms or changing areas. Access for enrolled families only.

Why I started The Little Table

As a mom of two little ones, I know how much the early years matter, and how overwhelming it can feel to balance a career while making sure your little ones get the best care, food and education. It truly takes a village, and I'd love to be part of yours.

I keep a small group of just four children, two of them my own, so every child gets real, individual attention. Our days are filled with Montessori-inspired activities, sensory play, book club and nature-based learning, built around weekly and monthly themes, because children learn best through play. Each week we head out on a field trip, to nature walks and toddler play spaces, discovering the world and making new friends along the way. Meals are home-cooked from clean and organic ingredients.

I care for every child as if they were my own, and I believe in complete transparency: daily reports, monthly growth updates, and access to our in-home cameras so you can check in anytime.

My goal is simple: to give your child the love, attention and nourishment they need to thrive.

Shairie Espino

Shairie Espino smiling outdoors in fall, holding her child, whose face is covered with a bunny sticker
Brandon and Shairie Espino holding their two children, whose faces are covered with stickers

Who's in the house

See the full roster and certifications

  • Shairie Espino. Pursuing certification as a holistic nutrition coach (certification pending). Shairie is CPR and AED certified (American Heart Association, through September 2028). A full-time stay-at-home mom of two for three years.
  • Brandon Espino. Co-owner. Works from home most days; out some days for appointments.
  • Our two children. They eat, work and play with the other children all day.
  • No one else. No other adults are regularly in the home.
  • Background checks: open to your own background check. We'll point you to where to run it. See where
  • Parent visits: open door. Parents and legal guardians are welcome to visit their child any time during our hours. No appointment needed.

What comes home

What they learn here comes home with them.

  • How they eat. Real, home-cooked food at a small shared table, every day.
  • What they can do on their own. Washing their hands, baking, cleaning up after themselves.
  • Kids to grow up alongside. Four children who eat, work and play together.
The fenced backyard in fall
A toddler picking out a pumpkin at a pumpkin patch

Out in the world, every week

Parks, story time at East Library, toddler-friendly play places, and nature walks. We cover the cost. A field trip every week. You approve or decline each trip by Sunday 8 pm, and you provide a car seat that fits your child. A child who opts out stays home with their family that day.

And they stay.

Ages 2 to 5. Once enrolled, a child can stay until kindergarten starts, up to age 5.

Inside the week

Small hands, real work.

Crafts, sensory play, books and time outside, all from a real week at our table.

A child's hand gluing paper jack-o'-lanterns onto purple paperA sensory bin of pink and green rice with scoopsFall picture books on wall shelves in the classroomColoring a wooden pumpkin cutout with markersThe outdoor play garden center by the fenceTissue-paper collage art of a bee and a mushroomLooking at an alphabet card, seen from behindSmall hands pressing a star cookie cutter into dough on a floured wooden tableLittle rain boots stomping through fall leaves

The trial week

Try one week. Then decide.

Starting somewhere new is a big step for little ones and their parents. The trial week lets your child settle in at their own pace, and lets you see firsthand whether The Little Table feels like home. Each day builds a little on the last:

  • Monday7:30–10:45 am: a short first visit with breakfast, circle time and the first activity of the day.
  • Tuesday7:30 am–12:45 pm: adds outdoor play, snack and lunch with the group.
  • Wednesday7:30 am–12:45 pm: a repeat of Tuesday, to build familiarity and routine.
  • Thursday7:30 am–3:30 pm: adds nap time and afternoon snack.
  • Friday7:30 am–5:30 pm: a full day, from morning arrival to pickup.

There are no field trips during the trial week, which is for building routine. Once your child is comfortable, they're welcome on the weekly field trips. You get daily reports and camera access all week, plus check-ins with Shairie midweek and on Friday to talk about how your child is adjusting and decide together whether it's the right fit.

A gentle five-day trial week, credited toward your first week if you enroll.

If it fits, it's month to month at $19 an hour per child, meals included, with no waitlist fee. Either of us can end it with 30 days' notice.

Request a tourSchedule a walk-through

What's included

  • Monday–Friday, 7:30am–5:30pm. Late pickup: $1.00 a minute after 5:30 pm, due at pickup.
  • Breakfast, lunch, two snacks and drinks (dinner is at home)
  • Nap mats, plates, cups and silverware
  • All activity materials and learning supplies
  • Weekly field trips at no extra cost
  • A daily report, plus a monthly growth update

What to bring

Please label every item with your child's name.

  • Diapering: diapers, wipes and diaper cream (if used)
  • Potty training: several pairs of underwear, pants and socks
  • Clothing: a complete backup change of clothes, kept here at all times
  • Nap time: a small blanket and a crib sheet for the nap mat (sent home weekly for washing), plus a comfort item or pacifier if your child uses one
  • Outdoor gear: weather-appropriate clothes for outdoor play and field trips. That means a warm coat, hat, gloves and snow boots in winter, and a sun hat in summer.
  • Sunscreen and bug spray, labeled, with the signed permission form
  • Feeding needs (if any): breast milk or formula, allergy-specific foods, a favorite sippy cup or bottle
  • A car seat that fits your child, for field trips

Optional, ages 4 to 12

Lessons with Brandon

Chess, guitar, bass and boxing for ages 4 to 12, on weekdays during our regular hours. Lessons happen in a room with cameras, so you can see and hear exactly how your child is taught. $399 a month per child for each lesson.

  • Chess2 of 2 spots open
  • Guitar2 of 2 spots open
  • Bass2 of 2 spots open
  • Boxing2 of 2 spots open

Ask about a spot · More about lessons

Questions

What parents ask first

“I can't control who's in someone's house.”

Here's exactly who is: Shairie, Brandon, and our two children. No other adults are regularly here. Shairie is CPR and AED certified (American Heart Association, through September 2028), and you can open the live camera view during the day. It's a drug-free, weapon-free household.

Background checks: open to your own background check. We'll point you to where to run it. · Parents can visit any time during our hours · See who's in the house

“That's more than a nanny costs.”

19 an hour per child covers the whole day: care, breakfast, lunch and two snacks, weekly field trips, materials, a daily report, plus a monthly growth update. With a nanny, you'd also pay employer payroll taxes, food, activities, and backup care, and there'd be no other kids.

Run your own numbers with the true-cost worksheet

“My kid will be sick all the time.”

Sick children stay home: a fever of 100.4°F or higher, vomiting or diarrhea in the last 48 hours, or something contagious like pink eye or strep. They come back after 48 hours well, without fever reducers. Read the full sick policy

“It'll be TV and a playpen.”

Screen time is rare during care hours. Now and then, if a child needs extra one-on-one attention for longer than usual, a gentle, calm show may be put on for a short time. Read the screen policy

“Do you give medication?”

No. We don't give any medication, not even in an emergency. So we can't enroll a child who may need an epinephrine auto-injector or a rescue inhaler during care.

“I won't know what happened all day.”

You get a short report every day, a monthly growth update, and a live camera view you can open during the day.

“What happens when she's sick or on vacation?”

Closed days aren't charged. Besides the four holidays, vacation (up to 4 weeks a year) is announced at least 30 days ahead. An unplanned closure is announced by 6:30 am and credited. Shairie is the only caregiver, so on those days you'd need your own plan. Read the closure policy

“How often will I hear from you?”

Every day, a text at drop-off and an end-of-day update. Every Sunday, the weekly packet. Every month, a growth update. We answer texts within 3 hours during care hours. Urgent? Call (719) 233-4624. Read how we stay in touch

“Are you licensed?”

No. We're license-exempt under Colorado's rules for small family care homes (four or fewer children, including our own).

Instead, we show you everything: who's in the house, their certifications, the kitchen, the schedule, and the reports.

“Is your household background checked?”

You run your own background check on our household, and we point you to where to run it: the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's Internet Criminal History Check (Colorado only, small fee), the National Sex Offender Public Website (free, nationwide) and the Colorado Sex Offender Registry. See the sites on our policies page

“Can we use military fee assistance or Universal Preschool hours?”

No. License-exempt homes can't accept them.

“My kid needs other kids, not just one adult.”

Your child spends the day with three other children, eating, working and playing together, with the attention a small group allows.

“Is it a drug-free, weapon-free home?”

Yes.

“Can I check in during the day?”

Yes. Cameras where children play, learn, eat and travel. None in bathrooms or changing areas. And our door is open: parents and legal guardians are welcome to visit their child any time during our hours, no appointment needed.

“Do children need to be vaccinated?”

Yes. All children at The Little Table must be up to date on their vaccinations. Please give us a copy of your child's current immunization record before the first day, and updated records as new vaccines are given. Records are kept private and secure, and never shared without your permission.

“What if we skip a field trip?”

You can opt out of any trip. Approve or decline each week's trip in the portal by Sunday 8 pm (America/Denver). A child who opts out stays home with their family that day; there's no care for that child that day. If both seats are one family's children and they opt out, we change the trip or cancel it.

Get started

Two seats. Come see the house.

Book a call below. To see the house, request a tour: it holds your walk-through and lets you pick the time.

What would you like?

Or reach us directly: shairie.espino@thelittletable.co · (719) 233-4624 · Facebook