the paperwork side of things would be alot if you arent used to it. but coming from child care where you have to do paperwork for the often 25-50 kids that come through your room per week, paperwork for 5 kids sounds like heaven! LOL
i'm sure there are some bad things about it, there are bad things about everything really. but it is worth it if you enjoy it. i would recommend calling a place like Lady Gowrie or C&K and get some further information from them. i think if you do it through those type of places they take a cut of your income (not much though) but you get support, experience and they will set you up with the paperwork and help you with it.
you will also most likely have to have a qualification in childrens services or be studying it, and you will need a blue card for working with chn as well as first aid. every adult who lives or comes through the house will also need a blue card.
also, it is a matter of more than just baby proofing your house (as you would do with your own kids) but there are generally a lot of indepth rules and regulations to do with fencing, hot water systems etc.
Leash I have a friend who did it down here a few years back. She went through a fair bit to get approved, and set up (as you should!), started doing it........and hated it. She kept on for a bit over a year, but never enjoyed it. The kids were great, they were never the problem, it was all the other stuff involved, paperwork etc. And she had some parents that were quite tricky. But possibly that's just about how you handle things .
As for couples working together.......well it's not something I'd recommend but people do make it work. Be sure that you're really and truly happy to spend 24 hours a day together, in your house, most days.
Of course, there are many people who love being FDCers! If you think it's what you guys really want, and would enjoy, then good luck!!
oh i forgot to mention if you are both technically working you can have more kids per day than if just one of you were working and so make more money. but you should go into it in the mind set of providing a happy, safe learning environment FOR kids than a money making adventure.
and in regards to above.. yep parents can be a pain sometimes LOL (i know i can, just cause we want the best for our kids) and yeah it would have to do with how you go about building relationships with them and such. i would say it would be easier in FDC to do this than in day care.
LOL Hollo, all parents are probably a PITA! Only cos we care . I think my friend had one mum who tried to take liberties ALOT, and that caused alot of strain. But I don't know the ins and outs of the situation too well.
given there will be two carers, you could have more kids BUT you'd have to have the facilities for it (more than one loo for instance).
mum did FDC for most of my child hood and even up until i left for uni. when she started, it really was a family environment - the kids just fit in with us - they went everywhere mum went, and were treated like part of the family. they stayed overnight if parents worked nightshift, were there on weekends - and we still keep in contact with many of them now - one became a mum a couple of years ago!
after a while, it got to be a lot more difficult to keep a family environment. it became more centre-like. there were house inspections monthly, had to be a designated room for kids to sleep in. child safety was taken to the extreme (field officer was taller than me - so six foot plus - and because SHE seen things on a shelf as being lower than eye level for her, they were too low etc - the other field worker said it was a load, but the tall one was the "boss" and so things were constantly having to be moved).
keep in mind that there are restrictions on who you can have visit while you have FDC kids in care as well. some parents are fine with you going about your every day life - others will ask that anyone that comes into the house while their child is there has been police checked (i think they call it blue card or something - safe to be with kids or something like that)
the dream of working together at home is one i'm sure we all aspire to - but the reality is very different. if you have a child in your care that is difficult and puts strain on you both, it can make life very difficult. can also be hard if you don't have someone that is "removed" from the situation to debrief to.
the money isn't terrible - but it's not fantastic given the fact that your home becomes your workspace and you have to maintain it all. some things may not be possible for you to achieve to the standards that the local FDC require if you are renting as well kwim?
Having chatted to a local mum this morning (who is on top of her email enquiries BTW lol!) who runs something like Lady Gowrie in our area I don't think it is for us. I'd love it to be but in the end I think it really just came down to her huge empahsis on the fact that is virtually impossible to remove yourself from work. Even once its done, theres a constant reminder that this is your workspace.
the idea of a seperate work area is fantastic - we have a friend who still does FDC even though her kids are all moved out of home - she has a garage/grannyflat that is the work area - so the kids don't go inside at all - no parents go inside their home - its' her office outside - just that her office has a hell of a lot of toys and things about lol
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but people do make it work. Be sure that you're really and truly happy to spend 24 hours a day together, in your house, most days. 
. I think my friend had one mum who tried to take liberties ALOT, and that caused alot of strain. But I don't know the ins and outs of the situation too well.
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