Programs

Foster Program

Children are housed in family-style units, each including no more than six children as well as a foster 

parent, possible senior residents, and likely dogs or cats. Throughout the week, children will participate 

in a combination of online school, group therapy, individual therapy, and therapeutic activities such as 

art, gardening and interacting with rescue animals. The exact nature of this combination is a matter of 

discussion for management. They will spend their remaining time in unstructured, supervised play 

(indoor or outdoor). Some of these activities (e.g. art therapy, supervised free time) will only require 

interns. Others (e.g. group talk therapy) will require the involvement of adult staff. Number of staff will 

be calculated by the board and executive director based on initial scale (reserve funds, size of site, 

number of desired residents based on cash-flow analysis and any other relevant factors). Roles for 

adult staff include foster-parent (head-of-house) positions, transportation, leading group counseling, 

holding individual counseling, directing cooking and food preparation, on-call or resident medical care, 

and building maintenance. Roles that can be filled by interns include day supervision, dishwashing, 

cleaning, assistance with cooking and food preparation, and informal mentoring and coaching. 

Some of these roles, such as cooking and food preparation, will begin with adult guidance but may 

eventually be filled exclusively by interns. 

Animal Rescue and Care 

Animals are brought on-site from city shelters and given shelter, food, water and needed medical care. 

It would house dogs and cats in two separate indoor/outdoor enclosures. Additional animals may be housed 

with the residents. A major question for the board is whether and to what extent Dandelion Village can

also rescue barnyard animals (it can be harder to find veterinarians that treat large animals, but many

animals require little ongoing care besides food and shelter, so this would not be a particularly onerous

endeavor). If so, rescue battery hens are a priority. The animals will, of course, require some amount of

expert care from adults. An aspirational goal of Dandelion Village is a veterinarian or vet tech on staff.

Most animal-care tasks, however, should soon become the domain of interns and in many cases our

young residents as well. Animals will be adopted out via a rigorous screening process, reinforced with

security measures such as “adoption deposits” (temporary donations that are returned with a free gift

after, for example, six months once the animal is shown to be in continued good health).

Paying Residents (Seniors) and Hospitality

The largest source of generated revenue for the organization is rent from paying residents. The focus 

is on seniors; though young adults and families may also be accepted for residency (this is a matter of 

discussion for the board), they will not receive the substantially-discounted senior rate. Residents 

would be welcome at communal meals, or they could stay in and make their own food. A cleaning service 

and an in-home meal delivery service will also be offered, for an extra fee. Dandelion Village has no plans 

to offer assisted living services at this time, but there is a potential for unskilled or low-skill live-in 

assistance from interns. Residents could live alone in smaller units, together in communal units, or 

integrated into the family environment of the foster-houses with junior residents. Paying residents will 

need an adult point-person to handle their issues and complaints as well as collecting their rent and 

mediating disputes. Residency requirements include child abuse clearances.

Internship Program 

Targeted toward former foster children, this program will fill the gap for ex-foster youth while teaching 

responsibility. Intern placement will be a simple, low-stress process, perhaps a choice of verbal

or written interview. Internships are part-time to give the intern plenty of time to pursue their own

interests and goals, including part-time outside work or college courses. All qualifying young adults will

be admitted until the program is full. Interns spend their days performing the many tasks needed to

maintain Dandelion Village. The exact nature of the division of responsibilities is a matter for

management to discuss with the first group of interns – for example, some chores (like dishwashing)

may have to count double. The mix is expected to encompass some non-creative work (like harvesting),

some creative work (like coaching), and potentially elective tasks like pottery and crafts. Interns will be

partnered or otherwise grouped with younger children for animal care, and each pair or group will be

assigned a dog (or possibly other animal) to socialize and train. These animals will live in the same house

as their human caregivers where possible. Interns will also have access to educational opportunities such as

guest lectures and individual tutoring if they are enrolled in any online or in-person learning program.

Eventually, each intern will decide where they would like to go next and will receive assistance with their

resumes and job interview skills to help them transition to their next position. A modest stipend, plus

room and board, should suffice in lieu of wages.

Farm and Property 

The minimum need here, of course, is maintenance. Residences for humans and animals must be 

maintained, and the property must be kept safe. Dandelion Village plans to use a combination of 

solar, wind, and grid power, so we need staff with expertise on these systems. Our plumbing will 

also conserve water through barrel catchment and greywater filtration technology, requiring more 

adult know-how. Interns will have the opportunity to learn and operate (or assist with) these 

systems, giving them further useful skills that could lead to professional opportunities in the

future. Beyond that minimum, the possibilities are many. Top priorities center mostly around food

production and education – a greenhouse (preferably attached to a living structure for increased

functionality), a larger outdoor Permaculture “food forest”-style garden which mimics natural ecology to

allow food plants to be maintained with minimal upkeep, and a coop for rescue chickens. Additional

projects include a barn, an amphitheater, and the other expansion opportunities listed in our business 

plan. All of these roles and functions are full of teachable skills, and interns will soon be assisting or 

even replacing adults.