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
Leash I really thought long and hard about it too, and in theory it sounds great, but for me, there are reasons not to do it, however, in my later years, when I am not needing the same things as I need now, and when the boys are older, it is something I will consider... if it still exists...
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