How it works

A partnership, built one careful step at a time.

Keepers run the home. Anchors fix, clean, and pitch in around the house, and are a steady presence. Together they choose a tier, pick from the Hands and Hearth menu, and sign one written agreement, so each side knows exactly what they bring and what they get.

Join the early-access list Read the safety terms

Tiers at a glance

Porch Light, Open Door, Full Hearth.

Suggested defaults. Each Keeper can tighten them for their home, and a safety concern ends any tier at once. Tiers are a ladder: a pair moves up only if both agree.

Tiers at a glance
Term	Porch Light	Open Door	Full Hearth
Presence	1 to 2 visits a week	3 to 4 evenings a week	Lives in the home
Hours	Daytime or early evening	Home by 10 PM, set by the Keeper	Quiet hours and house rules set by the Keeper
Overnights	None	None	Yes, in the Anchor's own room
Children	Present for visits, Keeper at home	Present during family time, Keeper at home	Part of daily life, Keeper stays responsible for supervision
Money	None	Groceries or listed shared costs only	Written rent and listed shared expenses
Trial	4 weeks	30 days	30-day paid trial stay, after 90 days at Open Door
After the trial	6 or 12 months, renewable only if both choose to	6 or 12 months, renewable only if both choose to	6 or 12 months, renewable only if both choose to
Exit	Same day, no reason needed	3 days during the trial, 7 days after	7 days during the trial, 30 days after, final length confirmed with an attorney

Draft. Not legal advice. Reviewed by an attorney before launch.

Terms by tier

What each tier's agreement spells out.

These sit on top of the 13 terms for every tier. The Keeper fills in the details.

Porch Light

A light left on. For Keepers who want help now and then.

Visits: 1 to 2 a week, daytime or early evening, on days the Keeper picks.
Departure: The Anchor leaves by the time set in the agreement.
Overnights: None.
Children: Present during visits, with the Keeper at home.
Typical tasks: Sunday dinner, a weekend project, a repair, a tidy-up.
Trial: 4 weeks, then a review conversation.
After the trial: A long-term agreement of 6 or 12 months, renewable only if both choose to.
Notice: Same day, no reason needed. A longer notice applies under a long-term agreement.
Step up: Moving to Open Door needs a new agreement signed by both people.

Open Door

For a steady presence who is part of the routine and goes home at night.

Visits: 3 to 4 evenings a week, on days the Keeper chooses.
Departure: Default 10:00 PM, adjustable by the Keeper.
Overnights: None.
Missed departure: The first one triggers a review conversation. Repeated misses end the arrangement.
Children: Present during family time, with the Keeper at home.
Typical tasks: Repairs, cleaning and tidying, yard work, shared dinners.
Money: Groceries or listed shared costs only. No rent.
Trial: 30 days, then a review conversation.
After the trial: A long-term agreement of 6 or 12 months, renewable only if both choose to.
Notice: 3 days during the trial and 7 days after. A longer notice applies under a long-term agreement. Same day for a safety concern.
Step up: Moving to Full Hearth needs at least 90 days at Open Door and a new agreement signed by both people.

Full Hearth

A live-in arrangement with the most structure.

Room: The Anchor has a private room. Bedroom and bathroom privacy rules for the children are written in.
House rules: Quiet hours, guests, shared spaces, and kitchen use, all written down.
Money: Written monthly rent and listed shared expenses. Nothing else.
Rent payments: Due on the date in the agreement and paid directly between the two people in a way that leaves a record. A short grace period applies. Two missed payments trigger a review, then a notice-based exit.
Eligibility: Open to an Anchor after at least 90 days at Open Door with a clean record.
Insurance: Renter's coverage required for the Anchor.
Trial: A 30-day paid trial stay with a clear exit for both sides.
After the trial: A long-term agreement of 6 or 12 months, renewable only if both choose to.
Notice and move-out: 7 days during the trial and 30 days after. A longer notice applies under a long-term agreement. A safety concern ends the arrangement at once. Final lengths and move-out steps are set with an attorney, because housing law may give a live-in person rights that a contract cannot remove.
Review: A check-in conversation every 90 days.

Anchor tracks

Two kinds of Anchors.

An Anchor picks the track that matches what they're looking for. Each adds a few terms on top of the tier.

Rising Anchor

Building toward independence and needs a place to land.

Monthly check-in on work and savings goals.
A review at 6 months on whether the arrangement still fits.
The Anchor handles their own finances, debts, and legal matters.

Lasting Anchor

Looking for a long-term role in a family.

A written expectations talk before the trial, covering holidays, family events, and how involved they want to be.
No pressure to act as a parent figure.
A check-in every 90 days on how the role feels for everyone.

Tracks describe what someone is looking for, not their age or gender.

Trial path

Five steps, in this order.

Every pair moves through the same five steps. Either person can say no at any point.

Verified profile
Identity, background checks, references, and a short video introduction.
Public meetup
A first conversation in a public place, with a friend or family member nearby.
Short home visit
The Keeper is present the whole time. Children are home only if the Keeper chooses.
Trial period
The trial length for the chosen tier, with a clear exit for both sides.
Review and decision
Both people look back on the trial and choose. Either one can say no. If both say yes, they sign a long-term agreement of 6 or 12 months, renewable only if both choose to.

After the trial.

Long-term agreement: When the trial goes well, the pair can move to a long-term agreement of 6 or 12 months. It renews only if both people choose to.
Notice: The tier notice periods above still apply. Under a long-term agreement, a longer notice applies, written into the agreement.
A planned goodbye: When an arrangement ends, a planned goodbye for the children is part of the exit, agreed by both people and led by the Keeper. The only exception is an immediate exit for safety.

Draft. Agreement lengths and notice periods are confirmed with an attorney before launch. Not legal advice.

The Hands and Hearth menu

Matches rise from the overlap.

Each Keeper picks what they need from an Anchor and what they offer back. Anchors fill out the same menu from their side. Roles go both ways: a home might need an Anchor who fixes things, one who cleans and tidies, or both. The picks below are examples.

Matching also weighs personality and lifestyle, such as laid-back or organized, early riser or night owl, alongside the Hands and Hearth menu and schedule.

Hands

What the Keeper needs help with.

Fix and build

Winterize and seasonal preparation
Light plumbing or electrical
Small repairs
Light car issues
Assemble furniture and small projects

Outdoors and heavy lifting

Snow removal
Raking
Gardening
Hauling things around
Lift heavy things

Clean and organize

Organizing
Decluttering
Dishes and kitchen cleanup
Laundry and folding
Deep cleaning (bathrooms, floors)
Small touches that make a house feel like home

Presence and mentorship

Just companionship and mentorship
Teaching, nurturing and passing on your passions
Sports and games with the kids
Eat dinner with the family
Model patience and respect at home

Hearth

What the Keeper offers in return.

Offered by the home

Home-cooked dinners
Baked goods
A listening ear
Laundry washed, dried and folded
General help
Skill teaching (AI, job skills, organization tips)
A quiet place to work

Holidays and family events

A place at some, most, or all holidays and family events

Anything involving the children follows term 2: the Keeper is home, and the Anchor is never alone with a child.