The Intergenerational Model

For over 14 years Hesston Child Care and Schowalter Villa have valued highly the interactions that happen when children from the child care are able to interact with residents from the retirement center. At first it was very limited as it was necessary to bus children to the Villa. Only one or two groups of older children were taken on a monthly basis. But both organizations realized the benefits to both populations.

In 2001, when it became necessary for Hesston Child Care to find a new permanent home, it was only natural that the administrators and boards of both organizations looked at the possibility of building a facility for the child care that not only was close to the retirement center but that was purposely designed to facilitate many levels of interaction between children and elderly.  The result after four years of planning and much community involvement was the Hesston Intergenerational Child Development Center. This is a new, state of the arts, building that is actually connected to the Assisted Living area of Schowalter Villa through a corridor named “Main Street. ” On Main Street one can visit the gift shop, a bank, a small meeting room and stop for ice cream at the Ice Cream Shop.

Levels of Interaction

Many observation areas were planned into the building

• Large interactive observation windows at the end of main street, looking into the multi-purpose room where there are generally groups of children playing.
• One-way observation windows into the Infant room and the youngest Toddler room, accessed from the child care lobby.
• Outdoor playgrounds that can be observed from some of the resident rooms, and from common sidewalks.

• Children can look out of their classroom windows and see their Grandma and Grandpa friends walking by.

Easily facilitated interactions

• Each week every class takes a small group of their children to do activities with their particular residents at th Villa. They do art projects together, play games, sing music and often bake.
• We have eight seniors who come on a regular basis each week and help in the classroom as teacher aides.
• Many special events are planned to include children, college students from Hesston College and residents from Schowalter Villa. They include Parades, Festival of Creativity – three days of planned activities such as baking, story telling, music, and other interesting experiences.; Christmas celebrations; a Mardi Gras Parade, Petting zoo, and picnics.
• The infants take daily strolls down the halls of the Villa in their Bye Bye Buggy.
• On occasion residents are brought to the children’s rooms to visit., and children visit residents in their rooms.
• Every day half of one class gets to go to the ice cream shop to have ice cream for snack and to visit with any grandmas and grandpas that are there.

As a result of these interactions our children show less fear of the elderly, learn compassion for them, become more accepting of differences, and gain first hand knowledge of life cycles.

If you are interested in a tour of our facility please contact Judy at 620-327-3775. 

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