Several times a week, teachers at Tiny Images, an early learning program in Fairmont, Nebraska, load babies and toddlers into four- and six-seater strollers and take them on “buggy rides” around the building.
They first stop to visit residents in the assisted living wing before continuing with those in the nursing home.
“Just walking down the hall and seeing kids' faces light up, or residents' faces light up, makes the whole day go away,” says Kaci Brandt, director of Tiny Images, which is located inside Fairview Manor, a city-owned nonprofit organization. nursing home in a rural community of about 600 inhabitants.
The attractions present children with an informal opportunity to interact with their “grandparents,” with whom they share an address during the day, entering residents' rooms and seeing who is in the common areas. The children will talk and sing songs to the adults. Sometimes they will keep older adults company during breakfast.
“You can find a person who might be having a bad day,” says Tami Scheil, manager of Fairview Manor, “and then see a cart full of toddlers coming down the hall. “It really makes their day.”
These touching moments are good for more than just photographs. Investigation sample that intergenerational facilities like Fairview Manor can lead to physical and cognitive improvements health benefits for both children and seniors. They are also cost-effective and support workforce development in two industries where money and personnel are often in short supply.
However, despite their many advantages, intergenerational care centers remain rare. Starting in 2021, less than 150 such facilities operated in the United States, according to Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, a nonprofit that advocates for intergenerational policies and programming.
That may be changing. In recent years, there has been more interest in creating and expanding shared child and elder care programs, as viewers realize that while the challenges of these shared sites exist, they are far from insurmountable.
“We think intergenerational shared sites really are the way of the future,” Butts says.
'That spark of life'
Beyond buggy rides, Tiny Images children participate in planned activities with long-term care residents about two to three times a week, Brandt says.
In the recent past, children and residents played impromptu table tennis using balloons and pool noodles. They built sand castles with “cloud dough” (a mixture of flour and baby oil). They painted on canvas using water guns instead of brushes. And just this month, they decorated sugar cookies for the holidays.
These activities are great for kids. They are developing their motor skills, socializing and participating in games and free expression. But these interactions are just as helpful for adults, who also benefit from movement, art therapy, and socialization.
Most experts agree that older adults as a population tend to be isolated and lonely, problems associated with an increased risk of dementia, heart disease and stroke, according to Jina Ragland, associate state director of advocacy and outreach for AARP Nebraska. As they age, their social networks shrink. Increasingly, many older people live far from their children and grandchildren. And those who live in long-term care facilities tend to have very structured days, says Fairview Manor's Scheil. In many nursing homes, each day follows the same routine, and the monotony turns into boredom and even depression for some.
The presence of children can change all that.
“Let me tell you, when there are kids in a building and kids are running around and providing that variety and spontaneity, our residents don't get bored,” Scheil says. “Children are not predictable. “They just provide that spark of life.”
Tiny Images has been operating within Fairview Manor for over 20 years. It's the only child care option in a city center, with up to 36 children attending at a time, Scheil says.
Across Nebraska, Tiny Images is among a handful of intergenerational facilities. But there will be more soon. Earlier this year, the state legislature passed a bill to finance the creation of more shared care centers.
The bill includes a modest $300,000, with up to $100,000 per facility, but the idea is that this initial funding could set a precedent, says AARP Nebraska's Ragland. Their goal is to establish a proof of concept that other facilities in Nebraska (and across the country) can follow.
Building belonging and purpose
Another source of momentum driving these deals is the Bezos Academy, a network of free Montessori-inspired preschools funded by amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos.
Bezos Academy preschools (of which there are now 25, with another 11 planned to open by the end of 2025) operate in a variety of settings, including public schools and public housing. Program leaders typically look to establish preschools at sites run by mission-driven organizations with some empty space they can rent at no or low cost, a Bezos Academy spokesperson said. Senior care facilities have become a natural choice.
The inaugural Bezos Academy preschool site, opened in 2020, is located in a freestanding building on the campus of Wesley Housesa senior living community in Des Moines, Washington. Since then, the Bezos Academy has opened a second shared preschool in Texas and has announced plans to open two more: one in Arizona in 2025 and other in Dallas in 2026.
At Bezos Academy Des Moines, children ages 3 to 5 attend preschool in a building just steps from Wesley Homes residents. At the beginning of each school year, families sign up for “excursions” that the children will take to visit their elders.
“It's a regular part of every week at our school,” says Tara Requa, head of school at Bezos Academy Des Moines.
