Healthy Homes Success Story: Laramie Street Home Daycare

Laura and her family have lived in their home since 1996. She worked for a Board of Education for years before opening her home-based daycare in 2007. One of her favorite parts of her home is the neighborhood it’s located in, as it allows her to serve underprivileged children in the area through her business. She cares for nine children under the age of six. One unique service her daycare provides is free transportation for children to her daycare and on field trips that parents could not otherwise afford. She said that parents struggle enough to pay for childcare itself, so she pays out of her own pocket for extra services that she believes are important for young developing kids. Laura’s motto is, “learning helps the world turning, one life at a time, step by step by providing change.” During the State of Illinois budget impasse from 2015 to 2017, several home repairs were out of her budget, such as new windows. She told us she knew she needed to replace them, but the cost of windows replacement is high, and she just couldn’t afford it. We connected her with a contractor and funding to replace her old windows, which contained lead-based paint. Without the  help of the program, Laura said she would have had to stop the extra services to pay for the windows.

“I am so grateful for the funding that made all of this possible. This program is outstanding.”

Property Overview

• Property type: Two-flat building built in 1962
• Neighborhood: Austin

Healthy Homes Interventions

• Lead paint removal on exterior of the home and garage
• Installed 33 new ENERGYSTAR® windows throughout the home
• Miscellaneous health and safety measures, such as electrical box covers and a sump pump cover

Project Cost

• Total: $39,489.00, covered in full through private funds at no cost to the homeowner