House boys
Occasionally, Nasheenian boys raised at the breeding compounds will not thrive there. For such boys, there is the option of becoming a house boy to a family in the interior. This is a foster situation, and generally occurs, for boys, between the ages of 3 and 12. Those who choose not to go immediately into military training at 12 can put it off until 16 and take the foster option.
Some women enjoy raising boys and girls in the interior - these are generally those who do not wish to be career breeders but who are interested in doing their part of the state, or who simply enjoy raising children. In this case, both girls and boys ages 3 and up will be fostered until the age of 14 for girls and 16 for boys - the age of adulthood for each gender in Nasheen. Because many women choose not to raise their boys but will raise their girls, the term "house boy" is used more commonly than its counterpart, "house girl."