Child‑care provider asks Downers Grove to extend compliance deadline after zoning enforcement

Laurie Lilja, a licensed family child‑care provider for 26 years, told the Village Council she received a zoning notice requiring a "solid design" fence and that her facility exceeded the village ordinance maximum enrollment for group child care homes. Lilja said she has operated in Downers Grove for nearly two decades and that state DCFS licensing and local zoning have been inconsistent, noting other nearby communities allow larger group sizes without the same fencing requirements.

Lilja described a lengthy administrative process that led to denial of a proposed text amendment to align the village ordinance with DCFS licensing. She said zoning staff informed her the existing ordinance requires a fenced, screened outdoor play area but that the ordinance does not specify wood fencing or a height; she quoted a village official as saying the village had "consistently applied the language in the zoning ordinance to require a 6‑ft solid fence." Lilja said historical enforcement has been inconsistent and that she felt "bullied by the village" in the enforcement process.

She asked the council to discuss extending the August 25, 2026 compliance deadline so she could continue caring for her 14 current children through summer 2027 and planned to pursue a resolution to finish her current preschoolers' transition. Lilja said she would follow up in July and that she had support from residents and her church to pursue licensing alternatives.

Council members did not take formal action during the meeting; Lilja's request was informational to the council. Any change to the ordinance or enforcement timeline would require staff review and council action through the village's legislative process.