Thank you everyone who has responded to this question.  I have really derived a lot of comfort from your answers.  I think I just need time to adjust and relax into it.  The first time for everything is often the hardest is it not????

Both my children were in Family Day Care.  Two lovely ladies over a period of 5 years.  It was wonderful for my boys to spend their in a home, with one carer.  They were able to spend their days pretty much how they would at home, singing songs, playing games and being adored.  Even now, when the boys are very nearly grown up (sigh) their last carer still walks past the house every now and then (with her latest band of littlies) and will stop to talk to me about the boys. The carer will be watchful of personality clashes amongst her little charges and will not hesitate to discuss it with you if there seems to be a problem.  Explain that this is the first time you have left your precious girl with any one, she will understand your anxiety (dont worry - if she has been doing this for 10 years she will have seen it before). Spend time making friends with the carer, it will enrich your life as well.

I used Family Day Care for both my kids when they were little. The carers were really lovely and really cared about the kids.  When I ended the family day care, the carer at the time gave the kids a little gift and said how much she'd miss them.

I did end up moving them to a child care centre and the reasons why were because:

1) If the carer was sick or had an appt (e.g. emergency dentist appt) alternative care was difficult. Either I could keep them home (and not work) or they would have to go to some other carer that they didn't know.   I never felt particularly comfortable with doing that, though the kids never had any problems doing that.

2) Payment was awkward for me because I had to take it into the main daycare office rather than being able to pay over the net (my preferred option).

3)  There was a maximum of the number of kids (usually 4 or 5) and no one else to help out so there wasn't a lot of opportunity for the kids to socialise.  They try to get the kids of similar ages together, but it's not always possible.  The child care centre on the other hand had a number of carers who could relieve each other and a number of different kids to socialise with.

I hope this helps give a bit of a rounded view.  Good luck!  I hope everything goes well!

Yes i have  and was living in sydney at the time.I know they check everything out  makes sure that  its safe for  the kids and also making sure that everything they would need is there before you can take children in to  there care.

Like you i was worried  ,but  i had no need to its safe  and if its like sydney they do go and check on the ladies  without them knowing  that they are turning up .I never had any problems at all  and my daugher was quite happy going there.

I had applied to do family daycare before deciding I needed to do centre-based care just to separate work from home.  The Department of Families are very strict with it, and they came out to see my home before doing anything else to make sure it was suitable, even asking about my neighbours.  My sister-in-law does family daycare and it's difficult getting hold of her in the evenings sometimes as she is at meetings or workshops or something that is on to do with family daycare.

The reason I chose long daycare for my daughter is that if she doesn't like a particular child there are more for her to form friendships with. In family daycare it's more intimate and if you don't get along with the couple of other children there you're a loner.  Depends on your child's personality too if they would cope better with a smaller group or a larger group.  My girl likes to be with lots of kids.  She got used to young, I took her to playgroup when she was a month old so I could have adult contact with stay at home mums or those only working part-time.  I'm a mum who finds it hard to trust people also but family daycare was something that I looked into for myself to do then for my daughter to go to.  I'm sure she'll be fine.

i am a soon to be family day carer so i know of the screening people go through, my children use to attend family day care when my eldest were smaller and it was great as i found a carer that i really liked who had the same disiplin and food ideas as myself so just make sure you try a few carers not just one as everyone is different and some people get on well and others don't and if anything your child will be cared for alot better than they would at an over crowded noisy child care center were they have done studies and found children who attend the large child care centres are stressed for long peroids of time which is not good for them or there mums as they leave the centre tired, hungry and thirsty were as at family day care it is a homely enviroment no were near as many kids and get more quality care, also i thought i would add the screening for family day carers is exactlyy the same as it is for the carers in the big day care centres also family day carers are randomly checked about every month and are not told before hand someone from the department of comunity depelopment and someone from the day care sheme pop in un anounced to walk through and check everything is happening how it should they stay for a while and watch how the carer is with the children what activities are planned and what there meals are so don't worry they will take good care of your little ones

Hi
Family day care mums are heavily screened and have to undergo extensive training and checking
I applied to be one once and the criteria was jsut too hard for me
I am a safety conscience mum and it still wasn't good enough.....
You have to have safety locks an almost everything in your house...if there is a part where a child could get under a house it has to be fenced of....you have to have very secure home
You in essence have to be a super mum to even become a family day care mum......
There are some i am afraid that do slip through the cracks but they are pretty vigilant. 
Everyone who lives in the house and almost everyone who visits while your child is there has to be screened. 
Advantage is also unlike day cares you don't have a pile of snotty nose sick kids there.
They work better with you as they are mums as well.....
Luv Deb