I SOOOO understand where you are at. I am a physical therapist by training - did that work for 16 years - but when we relocated 10 years ago, I just couldn't find a job as a PT that fit our new schedules. My husband's commute was much longer, and I had lost my most trusted babysitter - my mom - because she still lived in NYC and we were now in upstate NY. I hated leaving my son in day care - he's the only child I can have because of health issues and I wanted to be raising him.
I found a new wonderful career in network marketing. Yes, there are start up costs as there would be with any legitimate business, but the upside is incredible. I work around my husband's schedule so we get to parent our child - no babysitters or daycare. I earn a good income, my home is filled with great products for free from the company I represent (consultants earn the new product line for free based on sales), and I earn our vacation every year for free for our family.
Please check out the article I've written on how to assess a home based business for yourself.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Direct-Sales-Your-Guide-to-Eval...
Finding a good fit is KEY to succeeding. The other key is knowing that there is no "easy money", "get rich quick" program out there. You will have to work to achieve your success, but if you're trainable and committed to making it work, you can have all the success you want.
Feel free to email me if you have questions. Best of luck!