Laurance Lilja has run a home day care in Downers Grove for more than two decades.

The licensed day care provider, has operated her businesses from several houses both in the village and adjacent unincorporated areas, providing a less expensive option for parents struggling to pay the costs of more expensive day care centers.

Lilja was caring for 16 children at her house on Oxford Street in June 2025 when the village received a few complaints from her neighbors about the number of children, noise and traffic.

In-home day care providers may only care for up to 8 children, not including their own, according to village ordinance.

Additionally, Lilja’s outdoor play area was not properly screened from adjoining properties with a six-foot solid fence.

The village asked Lilja to comply with the ordinance by September but agreed to stay enforcement if she applied for changes to the ordinance overseeing home daycare.

Lilja did just that and is asking the village to increase to 12 (including the provider’s children) the number of children allowed at a home day care center.

She also proposes adding a group day care home category to the ordinance, which would permit up to 16 children, including family.

Her proposal was approved in November by the Planning and Zoning Commission. But Downers Grove commissioners did not have a favorable take on the request last week.

They’re expected to vote on the matter at Tuesday’s Village Council meeting.

“I think we need to name the elephant in the room, if you will. To be clear, this is a business operating in a residential district,” said Commissioner Mike Davenport.

“This all feels like it’s a bit much for a text amendment process.”

Davenport also criticized members of the Planning and Zoning Commission for not explaining their suupport of the proposal despite village staff’s recommendation to not go forward.

Commissioner Martin Tully agreed.

“I’m disappointed in the plan commission,” Tully said.

“Frankly, ”I apologize to you," Tully told Lilja. “You were given false hope. You were. And it’s something I’m not very happy about.”

“(The plan commission) didn’t want to say ‘no’ to you, so they let this come to us so we have to say ‘no’ to you. That’s not fair to you. It’s not fair to us.”

Tully lauded Lilja for making a good presentation, but said allowing larger group home day care centers in the village would be " a massive change for the community.”

“The problem I have with this, first and foremost, is the process by which this has come to us,” he said.

“There is no way I would ever support this in text amendment. That’s just wrong.”

“It’s affecting the entire community, and the entire community is not in this room. That’s the other most important thing.”

Leslie Sadowski-Fugitt agreed with her fellow commissioners.

“This is a fundamental change to the village,” she said.

But she left the door open to increase the number of children allowed at home daycare businesses.

“I am open to considering raising it to 12, including natural, adopted and foster children,” she said.

Sadowski-Fugitt recognized the significant need for affordable day care, recalling her own struggle to find it in the months before her daughter was born.

Resident Kevin Barto, one of several to speak on Lilja’s behalf, dismissed the concerns voiced about home day care centers.

“It’s hard for me to believe that 16 or fewer cars that are making trips each day on Oxford are creating any type of traffic concern,” Barto said.

He added that noise should not be a major concern because home day care businesses do not operate in the early morning, evenings or on weekends, and children are only outside for a limited time.

“I firmly believe that home daycare strengthens not harms neighborhoods,” Barto said.