When seniors have the desire and motivation to bring their own unique and valuable perspective to the child care setting, it can be a mutually rewarding experience. According to The Older Worker Child Care Employment Survey , seniors are rated very highly as staff. This 1993 study reported that Program Directors rated the older workers above average for attendance, responsibility, responsiveness toward children, and overall job performance. Forging New Relationships Through Shared Site Facilities and Other Opportunites for Engagement Intergenerational approaches call for using the strengths of one generation to meet the needs of another. Healthy active seniors and frail elders can bring a unique quality to children's lives.
Children can bring much energy and enthusiasm into the lives of seniors.
These new relationships can take place in any number of ways, through a continuum of service types. In many instances, the seniors and the children have opportunities for shared time and interaction. The degree to which the generations interact is not solely based on facility design, but on the integration of programming as well. Intergenerational activities can involve children of all ages, infants through school age, and seniors with varying degrees of independence. It takes commitment of time and energy to foster and sustain relationships between networks and programs.