I did not go into deeply, but i tried to be clear in calling them "families".

They are groups of like minded people of about a few hundred people.
That all live together for mutual support.

It is easier to see them, today, as small, self contained, self reliant communities.

The word comes from many of the young generation calling their group of people they hang with "my family".

So, children born into this "family" will have their birth parents and also many other parents in their lives.
Going to "learning and development" (no longer schooling) will be just going next door.