For parents
The Families
A child cannot cross alone, and neither can a family.
What families can expect
Families are part of the village from the first day. Parents open the year with their child at a family gathering, hear from the village before each gathering, and come back at the end of the year to welcome their child home. Both paths are funded by donations from the village. Every adult mentor in both paths has completed a California Department of Justice Live Scan background check, and Wild Souls Pathways carries liability insurance.
A parallel path
Your child comes home to you
A child changes fastest inside a family that is changing too.
Parents walk their own path alongside: the opening and closing circles, calls between parents and mentors through the year, and the conversations at home that a year like this opens up.
Through the year
Where families come in
- The opening
A family gathering
Parents and young people open the year together in circle, and meet the mentors who will walk with their child.
- Before each gathering
A letter home
The village writes to every family with what to bring, where to meet and when to collect. The parent handbook lays out the whole year.
- Through the seasons
Parents and mentors talk
Calls between parents and mentors keep everyone walking the same path.
- The close
The welcome home
Families stand in the circle at the final gathering to witness their child and welcome them home.
Safety
The land is wild, and we treat it that way
The mentors know the hazards of each place they bring the young people to: poison oak, ticks, and rattlesnakes in the warm months.
Every adult mentor in both paths has completed a California Department of Justice Live Scan background check. Wild Souls Pathways carries liability insurance.
Cost
Funded by the village
13 Moons and Fire Keepers are funded by donations from the village: families, friends and partners who give so the year can happen.
Tell us about your young one
Write with their first name, their age and what draws you here.