I had a few thoughts while reading your original post. You mentioned that you have modeled your home daycare after a centre but have you considered that people choose home daycares for the intimate setting and atmosphere? If they want a centre, they will go to a centre. Are you stressing the reasons you want to take care of fewer children and what you want to offer the families that set you apart from others in your area? Pointing out that you will run the daycare somewhat like a centre but also pointing out the benefits of what you will offer in your home might be the ticket.

Read the websites and ads of the people near you, find your niche and stress it. We are all different with pros and cons in the eyes of the parents, so they look for the things that appeal to them and their vision for their child. Are you a fantastic crafter, intend to teach lessons, themes, or run a play based daycare, etc?

If you reduce your rate a dollar or two a day for now to get the first families and put your rates up in a year, would that be an option for you? Sometimes it will get you off the ground with great references after all the families find out how fantastic you and your daycare are for them. Wishing you good luck.