Originally published January 9 2006
Medical experts say intergenerational daycare provides benefits to toddlers and senior citizens
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Newsday.com covers the latest development in daycare, as intergenerational daycares have rapidly increased in number over the last decade, illustrating the validity of theories psychologist Erik Erikson developed in the 1950's.
THE elderly woman, white hair brushed and tidy, peach lipstick matching her velour jogging pants, isn't quite sure why she goes to the adult day-care center in Van Nuys, and can't remember how long she's been going there.
But she remembers every word of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," and that's all that matters right now to the half-dozen wild-haired toddlers in the center of a circle made up of Overlee and four other seniors.
Developmental experts say that the growing number of facilities offering intergenerational day care, where seniors like Overlee and young children spend time together, is a partial answer to some undeniable demographics.
Today, 45% of grandparents live more than 200 miles from their most distant grandchild, according to a survey by AARP.
Not coincidentally, that's exactly the percentage of grandparents who say they don't see their grandchildren often enough.
About 55% of mothers of infants are in the workforce, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the 44% of Americans who have both aging parents and children younger than 21 are so squeezed that they've been labeled the "sandwich generation."
Finally, factor in the reality that our population is aging, and that increasing numbers of people will need doses of mental stimulation along with physical care.
"People want to start these programs, and they want more concrete information," says Butts, who observes that calls to her organization for help have been increasingly specific over the last few years.
A leader in this movement is ONEgeneration Daycare in Van Nuys, which began in 1993 as a serendipitous pairing of an adult and a preschool center that were next-door neighbors on Victory Boulevard.
Ninety-two children, infants to 5 years old, also go to the center daily.
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