Home daycare was never an option. I take a VERY dim view of human nature, there is almost nothing some people won't do if there is no one watching. There are too many ways to neglect or hurt children and never get caught. In that big glassy bright place it's much harder to ignore or simply neglect a baby who is crying with a dirty diaper or gas. The eyes of the world are upon them and it behooves the owner to enforce a standard of care that adds to his bottom line. My sons daycare defininately dosen't include a provider staring at the soaps on TV all day and talking to her buddies on the phone. You NEVER really know what really goes on behind the closed doors of someones house.
That is not to say all home providers are bad, it's just a gamble I couldn't take. Agressive older children, sexually predatory teens, and lord-only-knows-who can live in or visit a providers house.