Some Logistic Thoughts

Thanks to all the comments both on this blog as well as through personal e-mail messages (thank you all for your support, encouragement and wonderful questions and ideas), these are some logistical thoughts on this Community Orphanage/Home concept (although all of these logistical thoughts are "works in progress", and, just thoughts/dreams for now, which would need LOTS of fine-tuning):

• The location is being thought of is in commutable distance from New York City, so people in this community can travel down to the city for their jobs and to make a living (and to help support the orphanage). Since lots of acreage is needed, I thought either Putnam or Dutchess County might afford the acreage while still being "commutable distance".
• I don't know about any of the laws in NYS that might govern such an idea, since I only know of foster care/group home setting in the States, versus a "real" orphanage where the children would stay permanently and grow up in one large family with lots of uncles and aunts - I don't want to lose these kids to others adopting them. Thus, it'd be a "combination" of adoption and group home living situation?
• The preliminary idea is to raise 40 children together, but it'd be whatever the capacity: adults to children (ideally 1:4?) ratio, as well as the physical space and financial ability to raise these children.
• The targeted children would be any child who is in need of a permanent home - children in the States and possibly internationally (don't know the logistics/cost factors of international adoption).
• Wouldn't it be great if the orphanage/home can have sister-relationships with orphanages at other countries, who would "give" us the children they can't afford to raise, for us to raise - without the exorbitant fees and costs of regular international adoption...
• Both single adults as well as families who have the vision/burden/love to bless parentless-children can rally together to raise these children together. They can live on the grounds, in the main building complex that'd house shared living space with the children, while also having separate/private living quarters in condo setting, in each "wing" off this shared space.
• Children will be staying (in their own rooms) in "wings" off the shared space as well, by gender and by their age group.
• Some adults who might need more privacy can live in well built and attractive, free-standing houses on the grounds, not in the main building complex, and come into the main building to provide their share of the care-taking duties.
• If we can have enough free-standing, good, solid, attractive housing on the grounds, we can attract people to join in this effort while only having to put in two five-hour shifts a week per household, in care-taking of these children. This way, not everyone in the household has to be committed to the actual care-taking of the children.
• "Group housing" of these attractive free-standing houses can drive the cost of the building and maintaining of the grounds down - with the cost saving benefits be passed on to the running and maintaining of the orphanage/ home.
• This orphanage/home would be self-sustaining in terms of finances, human labor, and even with a small organic farm to grow our own vegetables, as well as possibly a small dairy farm to raise chickens for eggs and cows for milk?!
• On the grounds of this complex, there will be three concentric circles:
• The first and most outer one would house three main buildings at the front: A professional arts building where medical, dental, physical therapy, speech therapy, psychotherapy and any other professionals can rent space to operate out of; a community center to house an after school program, day care, social services, space for the surrounding community to interact with one another, and it'd be a "giving back" to the neighborhood center, including maybe an auditorium where the community can have community theatre, and/or a church can meet for worship services; the third building would be a retail building for local businesses.
• All of the rental proceeds would go to the running and sustaining of the orphanage/home.
• Ideally, the professionals having their practice in the professional arts building would have their the profits go to the orphanage, as their way of supporting the orphanage.
• Free-standing private homes will also be in this first concentric circle.
• The Second concentric circle would house an Assisted Living facility, primarily for people who have invested their finances and energy in the running/care taking of the children, who have gotten elderly and are in need of affordable housing with some assistance.
• There will also be a nursing home as part of the continuity of care of this community of care-takers/investors.
• Children from the orphanage/home would help take care of the elderly who have invested in their lives and of the children who have gone before them; maybe be employed in any of the businesses in the three buildings in the first concentric circle; and would rotate in taking care of the organic/dairy farm as well as the upkeep of the grounds (just like one'd have chores in and around one's home) - but all according to their gifts and talents. Meaning, it'd be an opportunity for each child to find their gifting and calling in their lives by serving one another and working "on the grounds/complex".
• There would be two free-standing Personal Chapels/Retreat Efficiencies for care-takers who live in the main building, for them to be able to "get away" and have a breather from interacting with the community all the time.
• There would be three to four free-standing Quiet Rooms that the teenage children can earn their "points/way" to, so they can have some private and quiet time away from all the other children, and adults.
• There would be playgrounds: a swimming pool, tennis, volleyball, basketball courts for the children to enjoy.
• The third and most inner concentric circle would be the main building complex orphanage/home itself, where the children would live in, along with adult care-takers would choose to live off the shared space in their own private wings.