Move closer to stepkids...or further away?

My husband and I are tentatively talking about moving back to the state where my stepkids live.  We moved away ten years ago when hubby's employer closed their doors.  There weren't any jobs in the area that would meet our financial needs (our household plus child support) so we moved 2-1/2 hours away, across the stateline, for a job.  My husband continued to drive five hours round trip on Friday, and again on Sunday, to get his kids every other weekend for six years (that was hard since he also worked about 60 hours/week).  When that company was sold and the old team let go, we were out of a job again.  We ended up moving another two hours south for a secure job.  After four years of this, the urge to move back closer to family has grown. 

Problem is his current job is secure.  It's a job he could retire from.  He hates it though.  He's 3rd shift and after four years, he still hasn't adjusted to being awake all night and sleeping during the day.  He's having repetitive motion pain through his arms from the job too.  With the economy so bad still, leaving a very secure job has its risks. We have four other younger children, besides the stepkids, to take care of.

I put out feelers with some of my old contacts about the job market in our homestate and ended up with ANOTHER very secure possibility - further away - in the area we wanted to retire to (the mountains).  Hubby is ready to pack up and go, lol.  I'm not even though its in the area that has always touched my soul.  It's further away.  We wouldn't see my stepkids any less than we do now because they don't (won't) leave their mother alone (she hasn't dated in over 15 years!) but we'd be further away from the rest of our family.  The point was to get closer, not further away.

If we can't find a job in our homestate, should hubby just deal with his current job that he hates and is causing health problems for him or should we move our kids further away from family?  This is hard.