Overview
SECTION 1
Isolation is the crux of all human suffering and human connection is the antidote.
– Carolyn Frenkel
Why Intergenerational Shared Sites Matter
Powerful demographic and social shifts are reshaping our communities — and creating new urgency for solutions that support people across the life course. To build stronger, more caring communities, we need approaches that bring generations together rather than keep them apart.
Key forces driving this need include:
- A rapidly aging and increasingly diverse population
- Age segregation and ageism that limit cross-generational relationships
- Rising loneliness and social isolation across all age groups
- Competition for limited community resources
- Growing caregiving pressures on families
At the same time, communities are facing two critical and connected workforce challenges: a shortage of qualified aging-services professionals and a lack of affordable, high-quality child care. Integrated, intergenerational models can help address both gaps by sharing staff expertise, facilities, training resources, and funding streams — while creating more attractive, mission-driven workplaces.
Intergenerational Shared Sites: A Solution
Over the past 50 years, intergenerational programs, places, and policies have expanded nationwide to strengthen cross-age connections and build sustainable partnerships. One model gaining particular momentum is the intergenerational shared site — a setting where multiple generations learn, receive services, and participate in programs under one roof.
Shared sites are cost-effective, relationship-centered, and designed to meet the needs of multiple age groups at once — while also helping providers stretch workforce capacity and program resources.
What Makes Shared Sites Different
Shared sites use an age-integrated — not age-segregated — approach. They are intentionally designed to bring people together to learn, play, contribute, and build meaningful relationships.
They go beyond simple co-location. These are not just shared buildings — they are shared spaces with shared purpose.
Unlike multigenerational facilities that serve different age groups separately, shared sites actively promote ongoing cross-age interaction and relationship-building — and create operational efficiencies through shared staffing, cross-training, and coordinated services.
Common Shared Site Models
Most shared sites connect young children and older adults through co-located programs and services, such as:
- Intergenerational community care centers
- Child care centers in retirement communities
- Child care centers in nursing homes
- Kindergarten classrooms in assisted living or nursing homes
- Co-located adult and child day-care centers
- Schools and senior housing on the same campus
Expanding Intergenerational Models
Shared-space innovation is growing across many populations and settings, including:
- Intergenerational centers serving specialized communities
- Intentional intergenerational communities (such as foster care or teen-parent supports)
- Co-located high schools and senior or adult day centers
- Intergenerational co-housing communities
- Students living in senior housing
- Grandfamilies/Kinship housing
- Intergenerational arts and education centers
- Intergenerational schools
There is also strong potential to activate everyday community spaces — including libraries, recreation centers, museums, cafés, and civic spaces — as vibrant intergenerational gathering places.
Core Features of Strong Intergenerational Sites
Successful intergenerational shared sites typically include:
- Regular, meaningful cross-age interaction
- Relationship-building as a central goal
- Inclusive, age-appropriate programming
- Accessible, safe, and welcoming design
- Cross-sector collaboration among partners
- Staff trained in intergenerational best practices
- Shared staffing strategies and cross-training opportunities
- A culture of reciprocity, inclusion, and mutual contribution
Benefits
Research indicates that intergenerational shared sites are beneficial to children, older adults, parents and caregivers, staff, sponsoring organizations, and communities.
“We make the Grandmas and Grandpas happy.”
Benefits for Children
Social/Emotional Development | Cognitive Functioning | Physical Activity |
|---|---|---|
Improved self-esteem and self-confidence | Enhanced communication skills (e.g., listening, expressing feelings) | Improved fine and gross motor skills |
Increased understanding of older adults and aging | Improved vocabulary and reading | Better eye-hand coordination |
Enhanced mood | Increased ability to cooperate and problem-solve | |
Increased appreciation of diversity (e.g., age, disability) | Increased knowledge of aging and the life cycle | |
Increased comfort interacting with older adults | Improved academic skills |
“The kids give a real boost to my day. It feels good to teach them things.”
Benefits for Older Adults
Social/Emotional Development | Cognitive Functioning | Physical Activity |
|---|---|---|
Enhanced life satisfaction/well-being | Enhanced problem-solving skills | Increased physical activity |
Increased self-esteem/self-worth | Enhanced communication skills | Increased brain stimulation |
Reduced feelings of loneliness | Increased understanding of children and child development | Improved perception of health |
Decreased depression | Increased comfort with technology | |
Increased socialization and engagement | ||
Increased confidence |
“The relationships my daughter makes here are special. She is learning how to care for others and kindness.”
Benefits for Parents/Care Givers
- Increased confidence that the care environment is stimulating and caring
- Satisfaction that their family member is engaged in 1:1 and small group interaction
- Reliable child or older adult care during emergencies
“I love the feel of community and the way we build relationships between children and older adults. This experience has enriched my life.”
Benefits for Staff
- Increased staff retention
- Improved staff morale
- Increased job satisfaction
- On-site child care for employees who need it
“It wasn’t always easy, but we kept our focus, and the end result is a facility that functions better because of the intergenerational aspects.”
Benefits for the Organization
- Increased collaboration across departments or with external partners
- Increased financial stability due to diversification of revenue
- Potential cost-savings through cost-sharing
- Improved quality of care due to reduced adult-child ratio
- Increased visibility in the community
“Our shared site had such a positive impact on neighborhood development and sent a clear message that caring for all ages together makes sense.”
Benefits for the Community
- Increased awareness of the power of intergenerational relationships and the efficacy of shared sites
- Development of new jobs and sources of care for families
- Opportunities for community revitalization, including new public spaces
- Increased empathy and understanding across ages, races, and cultures
The Opportunity
In today’s rapidly changing world, interventions that serve only one age group are no longer enough. Intergenerational shared sites offer a bold and innovative solution, improving the quality of life for people of all ages while building meaningful connections across generations. These programs create spaces where children, youth, and older adults can learn from one another, give and receive support, and engage in shared experiences that foster empathy, purpose, and community.
By investing in intergenerational shared sites, communities and organizations can address multiple needs at once—strengthening families, reducing isolation, improving well-being, expanding opportunities across generations, and supporting essential care sectors like aging services and child care. These sites don’t just deliver services—they build lasting relationships and workforce capacity, fostering a culture of mutual respect and connection that makes communities stronger and more resilient.
Now is the time to join this growing movement and create a future where every generation thrives together.
About This Toolkit
This toolkit was designed as an online resource for people interested in creating an intergenerational shared site or enhancing services at their current site. It is a living document that will be updated with additional examples of promising practices.
The Toolkit represents insights from many practitioners and researchers who generously shared their knowledge and experience with us. Although it focuses primarily on facilities that engage older adults with young children (toddlers through Kindergarten), many of the promising practices and tips are relevant for other populations and settings.
Due to the online nature of this Toolkit, it is possible to go directly to the topics that are most important to you. However, the chapters build on each other. If you are thinking about developing a shared site, it is helpful to review all the chapters in order to deepen your understanding of promising practices and challenges. Each section includes effective practices, challenges, tips from practitioners, examples, and concrete tools that will help you plan and implement a high-quality shared site.
The following topics are covered in the Toolkit:
- Section 2: Planning Includes suggestions and tools for forming a planning committee, conducting organizational and community assessments, and making key decisions related to target population, program model, partnerships and site selection. It also will help you develop a Logic Model and make your case.
- Section 3: Designing Includes design principles and considerations, examples of indoor and outdoor spaces, and ways to animate the environment.
- Section 4: Funding Describes keys to successful fundraising, potential sources of funding, and suggestions for starting a capital campaign.
- Section 5: Marketing Highlights initial marketing steps, suggestions for messaging, and effective communication vehicles.
- Section 6: Staffing Includes information on staffing models, challenges, staff training, and best practices in intergenerational programming.
- Section 7: Building Intergenerational Relationships Offers strategies for planning structured intergenerational activities, fostering informal interaction, and preparing older adults and children to engage in mutually beneficial experiences.
- Section 8: Evaluating Provides an overview of different types of evaluation, sample process and outcome tools, and ideas for planning and implementing an evaluation.
- Section 9: Sustaining Explores strategies for developing a plan that will increase the likelihood of long-term sustainability.
- Section 10: Beyond Child Care Identifies other shared-site models that focus on intergenerational living and education.