"Information from Human Environmental Sciences Extension."New 12/94/5M

DeBord, Karen B.

Flanagan, Vikki

University of Missouri: MOspace

Said the little boy, “Sometimes I dropmy spoon.” Said the old man, “I do too!” The little boy whispered, “I wet mypants.” “I do that too,” laughed the old man. Said the little boy, “I often cry.” The old man nodded, “So do I.” “But worst of all,” said the little boy, “it seems grown-ups don’t pay attention to me.” And he felt the warmth of the wrinkledold hand. “I know what you mean,” said theold man. — Shel SilversteinMeaningful contact betweenolder adults and young peoplein the United States hasbecome increasingly uncommon. Onlyin rare instances do grandparents livewith their children and grandchildrenunder the same roof — or even in thesame town. Because there is so little interactionbetween the generations, young peopleoften don’t understand the needs andabilities of older adults, and olderadults often forget the positive emotion-al benefits of being around young chil-dren.Intergenera-tional programs allowolder people to do valuable work inhuman service fields that face hugelabor shortages. And they give old andyoung alike the chance to experiencemeaningful, caring relationships. In an effort to bring old and youngtogether, many child care facilities andsenior citizen housing centers havedeveloped intergenerational programs. Many more will follow if Congresspasses the bill recently introduced intothe U.S Senate calling for the estab-lishment of “Grand Care” programs.These programs would recruit and trainolder adults to serve as child careproviders.Intergenerational programs can takemany forms. Examples include childcare centers established in senior cen-ter housing, child care centers witholder adults on staff, intergenerationalcare centers, older adults who takechildren into their homes as home-based providers, and “phone friend”connections to name a few. Whether in a formal or informal set-ting, bringing the generations togetherbenefits everyone.Intergenerational programs allowchildren to:§ Learn first-hand about the skills andphysical capabilities of older per-sons;§ Learn that not all older people arealike;§ See positive role models of agingadults;§ Feel more secure about being homealone when paired with an olderadult as a phone friend or neigh-borhood partner;§ Learn how to handle situations andemotions they face today by lis-tening to an older adult talk aboutpast experiences;§ Learn skills that would be lost if notpassed down from generation togeneration (carpentry, storytelling,quilting, etc.). Bridging the GapIntergenerationalprogramsby Karen DeBord and Vikki Flanagan Human Development and Family Studies SpecialistsDepartment of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Missouri-Columbia GH 6710 ©Information fromHumanEnvironmental SciencesExtension ÄÄÄArcive version -- See extsion.missouri.eduIntergenerational programs allowolder adults to:§ Meet people with common interests;§ Develop new child rearing skills touse with their own grandchildren;§ Achieve a sense of fulfillment bypassing on life experiences andskills to others; § Earn extra income or make a valu-able volunteer contribution.National issues thataffect both olderadults and childrenApproximately 25 percent of theAmerican population is 50 years of ageor older, and this percentage is increas-ing. Older adults represent every eco-nomic level. Although 85 percent ofthose over age 65 have adequateincomes, poverty is a fact of life formany elderly.Many elders are concerned abouttheir communities and take action asshown by the high percentages of peo-ple over 50 years of age who vote andvolunteer. Many older adults were born nearthe turn of the century, and thechanges in society (technology, genderroles, work environments, etc.) havebeen far-reaching and rapid. Values may be different and ways ofliving day to day have altered due toeconomic or societal demands. We are a mobile society. Many olderadults do not live close to their adultchildren or grandchildren.Older adults as childcare providersThere are several possibleways to plan intergenera-tional programs. With eachmodel, funds are necessary tomanage, organize andadminister the program. Some of theoptions include:§ Developing after-school child care inschools, senior centers or othergroup sites for children who wouldotherwise be home alone. (It mightbe necessary to organize trans-portation for the older adults.)§ Recruiting older adults to care forchildren in their homes or thehomes of the older adults.§ Organizing a group of older adults tobe “phonefriends” forchildrenwho arehomealone.Planning intergenerationalprogramsIntergenerational experiences canbe arranged in formal settings such aschild care facilities or informallybetween parents, grandparents andchildren. For these arrangements to work, thepeople involved must all be committedto the basic need for intergenerationalprograms. There are various programs with anintergenerational focus across thenation. Experience shows that a greatdeal of recruitment and encouragementwith older adults is necessary. Some project leaders indicate thatolder adults are not as comfortable withinfants and school-age children as theyare with older preschoolers, particularlyat first. Older adults will need training andsupervision. They may prefer to easeinto a new setting by working part-timeor as substitutes. Don’t assume that just becausesomeone has raised a family, she or hehas an interest in being with children,or has the skills to care for and teachindividual or groups of children. Older adult employees shouldreceive the same compensation andbenefits as younger workers. Paymentfor work, scheduling flexibility, andopportunities for advancement shouldbe equitable.Planning for intergenerational oppor-tunities should be a two-way processconsidering the needs and emotions ofall participants. Consistency is important to olderadults and to children. Childrenbecome confused, and trustwaivers when too many adultscome into and then leave theirlives. If a child has a relationship with anolder person who becomes ill, he orshe cannot just disappear from thechild’s life without comment. Discussthe situation with the child, and give thechild an opportunity to express his orher feelings about it.DemographyThe first step in planning an inter-generational program is to analyzelocal demographics. Use a map of yourarea to see where older adults live,work and socialize in the community.What are the primary age breakdowns?What transportation is available to olderadults? What current support systemsare available.Community supportIn the planning process, be sure toinvolve elder care and child careproviders, older adults, service organi-zations and agencies. Gaining commu-nity support is critical. To gain that support, you may haveto explain the benefits of intergenera-tional programs to the child care pro-fessionals, service agencies,community leaders and parentsinvolved.Begin by breaking down the stereo-typical notions of older people. Mythsmay include:§ Older people are unable to acceptchanges in routine.§ Older people are insecure aboutgoing back to work and about work-ing with children.§ Older people are willing to do anychild care related task (in otherwords, an older person would behappy to just stand around andwatch the kids play as opposed toactively working with the children).Some of these outmoded notionsmight be replaced with facts such asthese:§ Child care is a new phenomena forthis generation of adults.§ Older workers are generally on time,not deterred by weather, andeager to work.§ Older workers generally have astrong work ethic.The hiring processOne option is to start older adults atthe same wage as a teacher’s aide,interview them for positions, require thepresentation of character references,and require a criminal records check. Pre-service training is generallyplanned prior to hiring in order toscreen for those who need more infor-mation before making a commitment tothis type of work. After an initial recruitment and orien-tation, a second group of “grand work-ers” can then train a new group. The training should include:§ An overview of the developmentalstages of the children in the pro-gram; § Outline of a typical day;§ Situations that could arise and howto handle them;§ Philosophies or strategies for disci-pline; § Regulations, staffing patterns, on-site observation (at least one-halfof a day); § Discussion of on-site observations; § Specifics on quality child care; § Procedures in the next step towardsemployment.You can recruit older adults by dis-tributing flyers, placing ads in thenewspaper — particularly thesenior section, hangingannouncements ondoors, speaking to vari-ous community groupsand through “word ofmouth.”In your recruitmentmaterials, explain thatthere will be training.Stress the importanceand value of the workin addition to the need.In publicity, use photographsof older adults involved with variousages and races of children in activities.Tips for successMake the program environment ascomfortable as possible; consider theneeds of both children and adults. Draw upon community resourceswhen available — start small and build. Recognition of successful efforts isimportant. Plan ways to recognize vol-unteers and paid staff who contributetime and effort!ReferencesGalinsky, E. (1989). A case for inter-generational child care. In S. New-man & S.W. Brummel (Eds.),Intergenerational programs: Imper-atives, strategies, impacts, trends(pp. 239-241). New York: HayworthPress, Inc.Jendrek, M.P. (1993). Grandparentswho parent their grandchildren:Effects on lifestyle. Journal of Mar-riage and the Family, 55, 609-621.McDuffie, W. & Whiteman, J. (1992).Intergenerational activities programhandbook (3rd ed.). Binghamton,NY: Intergenerational ProgramResources, Broome County ChildDevelopment Council, Inc.Seefeldt, C., Warman, B., Jantz, R.K.,& Galper, A. (1990). Young and oldtogether. Washington, DC: NAEYC.Silverstein, S. (1981). The old man andthe little boy. In A light in the attic.NY: Harper & Row.Strom, R. and Strom, S. (1985).Becoming a Better Grandparent. InK. Struntz & S. Reville (Eds.),Growing together: An intergenera-tional sourcebook (pp. 57-60).Washington, D.C.: American Asso-ciation of Retired Persons and theElvirita Lewis Foundation.Struntz, K. & Reville, S. (Eds.). (1985).Growing together: An intergenera-tional sourcebook. Washington, DC:AARP and the Elvirita Lewis Foun-dation.n Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with theUnited States Department of Agriculture. Ronald J. Turner, Interim Director, Cooperative Extension, University ofMissouri and Lincoln University, Columbia, MO 65211. n If you have special needs as addressed by theAmericans with Disabilities Act and need this publication in an alternative format, write ADA Officer, Extensionand Agricultural Information, 1-98 Agriculture Building, Columbia, MO 65211, or call (314) 882-8237. Reasonableefforts will be made to accommodate your special needs. n An equal opportunity institution.UniversityExtensionUNIVERSITY OF MISSOURICOLUMBIA$.50 GH 6710 New 12/94/5MSupport groupsGAP: Grandparents as Parents2801 Atlantic AvenueLong Beach, CA 90801(213) 595-3151Generations UnitedNational Council on Aging(202) 479-6604Intergenerational Activities Program Training videoIntergenerational Program ResourcesBroome County Child Development Council, Inc.Binghamton, NYFor further information on grandparents raising grandchildren:AARP Grandparent Information CenterSocial Outreach and Support601 E. Street, NWWashington, DC 20049(202) 434-2296Grandparents Raising GrandchildrenPO Box 104Colleyville, TX 76034(817) 577-0435Second Time Around ParentsFamily and Community Services of Delaware County100 W. Front StreetMedia, PA 19063(215) 566-7540

Bridging the gap : intergenerational programs (1994)

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