Family Day Care..anyone doing it?

I am thinking about starting up Family Day Care from my home so that I can be with my boys. I am a Registered Nurse, Mothercraft Nurse and a Doula, however with two little boys I dont want to be away from them!! Im a sook I know, but your babies arent little for very long. In this world today its almost impossible to live on one income, unless your partner earns ALOT of moola!. So basically I am just wondering if anyone out there is doing it or has done it in the past and what is it like? Whats the income like? Any info about it would be great!! :confused:

Thanks gals!

I don't really know a lot about it, but a friend of mine did it many years ago. She found it hard because you can't discipline them, and you can't discipline your own kids in front of them? or something stupid like that (might be different now). She wasn't thrilled with the pay either. Gosh - don't wanna put you off! LOL. Like I said, I dont' really know. I think it's a good idea tho.

And I totally know what you mean about wanting to work from home :) I can't think of anything better than earning a living AND being with the kids all day!

Hope someone else has some more info for you.

We spoke to the lovely people from Family Daycare at the last Parenting Expo in Melb and they had lots of good information. We were/are thinking of doing it as my DH is a SAHD and we wanted to do it so Amy gets more socialisation. From what I understand it is a fairly rigourous process with inspections and interviews. You get inspected at random once a month and you are allowed 4 kids at a time for $3 per hour per child. Their website has more info.

My Mum did FDC for over 30 yrs. I know that the money wasnt crash hot at that time, but from what I understand it has increased a bit now. They will check out your house for any hazards and you need a police check done. BUT on the upside, I am still friends with some of the kids that my Mum looked after, actually one of them is Hayley's godmother, it is really lovely to see them all grown up now. All up my Mum looked after 400 kids in her time and I still see a lot of them. Its a lovely thing to do.

My MIL does it (has done for 20 years) and I've looked into it.
It is HARD work especially considering the money. The provider MIL works for has lots of rules - eg. the kids have to paint every day (imagine doing that every day on your own with 4 toddlers under 2.5), no television to be on during the day at all, they have to go to the park at least once a week, she has to fully mop and sweep her whole house every morning before the kids come and she has spot checks at least every fortnight where they just show up without warning - there's heaps more but you get the idea. It's quite structured and full on and after looking into it I decided that I don't have the self discipline to do all that in my home every day, I would get too distracted with other things not to mention trying to clean up every night with my own kids still here.
If you want to be home with your kids its definitely an option but you really need to your research and find out what's expected. There is also alot to cover in terms of your own home, as someone said - safety etc.

Try checking with your local council. My MIL did it for a little while thru her local council and the lady next door to us and the also 2 doors down from us do it too. I know they get visits from the council every now and then as I see the council car parked outside our house (yes I'm a sticky nose)

Hi - I tend to agree with some of the comments above - it would be a lot of hard work, and you will probably be exhausted at days end, whilst this doesn't mean it can't be done. I personally think you would be a Saint to take on this role, I know just having two of my own is a hand full let alone some one else’s children. I saw an ad in the Glen Erira local newspaper and I think they were quote an $18 p/h rate... but I am not sure if this is after tax, probably not.
Good luck !!!
Sonia
P.S I don't think your not a "sook" either - I can't stand to be away from my little ones as well and I think thats just fine ! what memories our kids will have.

I work in child care and I am thinking I might do this in the future too cause I don't wnat to work outside of the home either.
I'm thinking I'll look into just nannying though cause then you don't have to go through all the family day care inspections and paperwork and you can set your own rate.
I think it would be tiring and I'd probably just to 2-3 days a week so you had 'alone time' with your own children too.