Having worked in DC with little babies here's some of the challenges working mums seemed to encounter:

* Dealing with frequent illness of babe. Many mums found their bosses to be unsympathetic to the frequency of coughs and colds children in DC contract. We have to call mum/dad to come and collect the child if the nasal discharge is green, if they are running a temp., are contagious, or if a rash suddenly develops (to name a few). These occur surprisingly often and some mums get annoyed with us for calling them so often but it's not fair on the other babies if it spreads.

* Working late/getting stuck in traffic. Almost daily a parent would be late due to everyday situations out of their control. We had to charge a dollar per minute they were late to cover 2 staff being on the premises after hours.

* Missing milestone events. Some mums would burst into tears if we said we witnessed babe's first steps. We kept detailed "diaries" for each child and wrote an account of their daily experiences but some parents were more sensitive to missing these events than others.

* the cost of care. We were a premium centre with a 3:10 ratio which also focussed on the developmental needs of each child and provided tailored activites/learning experiences for each age group. Even with the rebate I still heard stories of it being "cheaper" to stay at home. I guess when you factor in the extra petrol driving to the centre, meals, disposable nappies (we can't deal with fabric in a centre) it all adds up.

Anyhow, these were the big three issues that seemed most common in my 5 years at this particular centre. I myself have only used family day care for my DD when she was 3. I won't use DC for many reasons, mainly because childhood (especially babyhood) is too fleeting. We make a lot of sacrifices for me to stay home but it's not for everyone. I fully acknowledge that some mum's really need the "break" going to work offers! Motherhood can be isolating. Good luck with your decision. Perhpas give it a go... and follow your intuition