A Warrenton resident is asking the city to consider allowing state-licensed childcare providers to operate out of their own homes.

Anna Vaccaro spoke before the city’s board of aldermen Oct. 17 to make the request. Current city ordinance specifically bans homes in residential areas from being used as daycare centers; however, it allows homeowners to care for up to four nonfamily children, officials said. Any more than that, and the daycare must be set up at its own location in a commercial area.

Vaccaro’s request would allow up to 10 nonfamily children in a home based on state statute, and would also require caregivers to go through the process of acquiring a license. She presented aldermen with sheets of petition signatures from city residents supporting the proposal.

Aldermen asked why larger daycare services shouldn’t be kept to commercial locations, as they are currently.

“Some people want a larger facility with the numbers and the structure, and that’s great, but some parents do want a more affordable option with in-home (care),” Vaccaro said. “We can offer more flexible hours, more personalized care.”

Vaccaro also said mandating state licensing requirements would introduce more accountability for in-home caregivers than the city currently has.

Aldermen, for their part, expressed several concerns with expanding in-home care. They said at the least, every home daycare center would have to be approved individually by the city. 

That’s because a similar proposal in the past has brought up concerns such as crowded street parking, and whether regularly having up to 10 children at one home would become a nuisance for neighbors. And even if rules were set for such in-home businesses, the city could have trouble enforcing them.

“We have an obligation to protect the people who invest in homes without the intent of having a business next door,” said Ward 2 Alderman Gary Auch. 

He added that the city currently doesn’t have authority to enter homes to check that the conditions inside are appropriate for groups of children. Doing so would require a whole new body of rules and regulations, he said.

Vaccaro replied that state agents already inspect conditions at in-home daycares before awarding licenses. 

Ward 1 Alderman Greg Costello said commercial daycares still offer the most safety and accountability.

“You’re going to have a great deal better opportunity for state inspection and public inspection by the city if it’s in an approved, coded facility,” Costello said. “What I’m hearing (Vaccaro) say is that you can’t really make it profitable limiting it to four children. What that says to me is you need to go find a commercial location and open a commercial daycare.”

City attorney Chris Graville said there are other municipalities in Missouri that allow in-home daycare, but they aren’t the norm. State-level regulations on those services are enforced by state prosecutors, he said. The city would coordinate with state prosecutors to investigate any complaints if in-home care were expanded in Warrenton, Graville added.