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I don't have children yet so I can't answer most of your questions. However, I do have personal experience when I was a kid of being in home daycare provider settings so I thought I could give a couple personal anecdotes to the concern about being cared for by a mom. My mom started a home daycare in order to stay home with my brother and me when we were little (a long, long time ago). She had a similar background to you (certified teacher, lots of experience in early childhood ed, etc). I recall that the dynamic changed some when the other kids were at our house and I remember her treating us all pretty fairly (which of course put my nose out of joint on occasion, since I was pretty sure I deserved special treatment). I loved having her be home with us. When I was older my brother and I went to several home daycare settings, some that had a mom with kids and some that did not (kids were older, like high school or out of school), I always felt like I was treated well and given the attention I needed. The situation you are describing is super common around me. When I do have children, the situation you are describing is exactly the type of care I will be looking for based on my own personal experiences as a kid and the fact that I will need to continue to work.

1) Would you consider having your child in a SAHM/daycare situation where the Mom already had twins? Would you trust that your child would be as were loved and well-taken care of?

Yes, I would consider it, although I would want to meet you and see how you interact with your kids and how well behaved they are. The older they were, the more comfortable I would be. FWIW one of my coworkers sends his son to an in home daycare where she also watches her grandson (and other kids). My coworker had never expressed any concern about her ignoring the other kids to favor her grandson.

2) What would you look for in a home daycare situation?

Your personality, space, cleanliness, affordability, and experience.

3) How about outings/field trips? Would you be comfortable having me drive your children to the zoo/park/etc.? (I have a CDL, a clean record, and drove a large school bus in college!)

Yes, but after my kid had been with you a while and trusted you a lot. I'd also want to make sure your car was big enough and you had appropriately installed carseats.

4) What would you be willing to pay? Would you expect to have all meals/snacks/bottles/activities paid for?

I think this depends totally on the area. I would expect to pack meals/bottles, and would be ok with either packing snacks or you serving them. We don't eat beef/pork so daycares with lunch included wouldnt be cost effective for us. I would be ok with paying for some extra activities (like occasional zoo or museum trip) but would also then expect to be able to decline those outings if I didn't want to pay for them.

Good luck!

I probably wouldn't consider an at home daycare where the moms kids were already there. I prefer an unbiased environment. I wouldn't be comfortable with you driving them, either. I would have to be really blown away to consider you! I would be too uncomfortable with E being not your kid

That being said. E goes to an at home daycare. She is unlicensed and has only four children there. We love her. She has four grown kids and we were totally enamored with her and chose her. We pay $200 for 4 days of care and E goes to a sitter on Fridays for $50. It is more expensive than the other options except kinder care. Other in homes were $150, a center was $210, and fancy places were $300/week. Food is included once she's past purées and formula. I love the situation and T's house is nice and clean, safe, and she has a dedicated area (a finished basement) for the children. She rotates toys and helps potty train, too. It's also in a nicer area. We looked at some in homes and while I'm sure the care was fine, if it was dumpy, I wasn't interested in sending my kid there.

Our Friday sitter will put up a PnP in another room for the babies to sleep in. Whatever helps them get a good nap! But I want the play areas to be separate and baby proofed and all that jazz. I'm sure you'll find someone comfortable with the situation, though!

@twoofeverything: I went to a home daycare where the Mom had twin girls and as a child I loved everything about it! If there was any bias it never impacted my world.
Your set up sounds good and I would be ok with the driving as long as the car seat was up to my standards.
Here are a few things I looked for in a home daycare:
Clean, fun, safe space
A daily schedule.
A clear discipline plan.
Healthy meals.
An open door policy (I can stop by whenever I want).
And good communication.

Good luck- I totally would have interviewed you