Plans for child-care facility at Simkin Centre in motion
‘Seeing children can bring joy to their lives’
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/03/2025 (572 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre has intergenerational aspirations.
The faith-based personal care home, which has roots that go back to 1915, is working on plans to add an on-site child-care facility.
“We want to make the Simkin Centre into a place where children and seniors can meet and be a support for each other,” said chief executive officer Laurie Cerqueti.
The care home houses 200 residents and is proposing 72 child spaces. The child-care centre would be located on the north side of the Linden Ridge-area facility and be connected by a walkway.
The centre is in discussions with the provincial government about its plans. There is no timeline for the project.
“These things take time,” said Cerqueti, adding they are seeking various approvals and looking for sources of funding.
Regular Simkin Centre volunteer David Cohen is a fan of the proposal.
“So many residents don’t get visitors,” he said, noting the facility could offer an informal adopt-a-grandparent program where children and seniors could visit.
“Seeing children can bring joy to their lives,” added Cerqueti. “Seeing children play, hearing their music and seeing them on a regular basis could cheer people up.”
During Purim, a Jewish holiday when children dress up in costumes, the centre could hold a costume parade, she said, adding a holiday program could be offered at Christmas as well, since about half the residents are not Jewish.
The centre’s rabbi, Matt Leibl, agreed the proposal would be a great way to bring children and seniors together.
“It’s a way to share the Jewish value of hesed, caring and kindness, along with showing respect for older people,” he said.
The child-care facility would have a Jewish flavour, Cerqueti said, but would be open to everyone. There have already been inquiries from parents about when it will open.
It would also help Simkin Centre address issues of recruitment and retention, she said.
“Health-care workers can work odd hours,” Cerqueti said, noting the option to drop off children at the same place they work would be a win for everybody.
The centre would not be the first health-care facility in Winnipeg to include a child-care component.
Concordia Place has a centre for 24 children that, before the COVID-19 pandemic, found children mingling with residents in the care home and baking, painting and singing with them.
In February, the province announced it would fund child-care spaces at St. Boniface Hospital and Riverview Health Centre. Those will not be physically connected to either facility.
Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara said the province always welcomes opportunities to add more child-care spaces.
“Putting those spaces directly in health-care facilities is both a relief for parents working on the front-lines and removes barriers so that more folks can join our health-care system,” they said in an emailed statement.
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Countering social isolation
As many as 30 per cent of Canada’s seniors are socially isolated, past research has shown.
This can be particularly true for seniors in personal care homes who may not have many visitors.
One way to alleviate that loneliness is by giving seniors opportunities to be around children, an idea that was pioneered in Japan in the 1970s. Since then, has been implemented in other countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Singapore and the U.S.
The Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre, with 200 residents, is proposing such a project for Winnipeg. It hopes to add a 72 spaces for child care.
In a document titled Reimagining Care: Intergenerational Programming at the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre, it notes there are still “fewer natural opportunities for the old and young to interact… intergenerational programs could be key to nurturing healthy communities at every level.”
Such programs could also help alleviate the social isolation felt by many seniors; in some personal care homes up to 60 per cent of residents get no visitors at all, the document, published in January, said. As a result, many seniors report being feeling lonely and depressed.
The document argues seniors can also contribute to the lives of children, which can increase feelings of self-esteem and self worth. Children also benefit as they have opportunities to engage with older people, experience acceptance, develop empathy and “a greater understanding of the needs of others.”
— John Longhurst
The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba through our Religion in the News project. This reporting continues because readers like you step forward to fund it.
Donate now to support our reporting on religion.
Your donation is eligible for a charitable tax receipt.
BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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