Children and seniors come together in a new kind of community at Bethany Riverview, a highly specialized Complex Dementia Care (CDC) centre purpose-built for the unique needs of people living with dementia, as well as long term care.

A new partnership between Bethany Care Society and Summit Kids will be realized today with the grand opening of a new daycare facility, Summit Start, at Bethany Riverview.

Bethany Riverview is a 210-bed long-term care centre located on a 12-acre campus of care for seniors called Riverview Village in the community of Dover. The campus is also home to about 400 seniors living in three affordable independent living rental apartments.

Summit Kids serves over 1,000 children each day at 16 campuses in Calgary. Summit Start, the sister program to the award-winning Summit Kids, is located in Bethany Riverview.  Summit Start offers approximately 6,000 square feet of space with an additional 2,000 square feet utilizing the playground courtyard. Summit Start has rooms for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and a private Kindergarten program, serving 84 children. As part of the daycare’s programming, it will partner with Bethany to create opportunities for all generations to socialize, learn and grow together.

“We’re excited to be partnering with Summit Kids on this new intergenerational program which is intended to strengthen our community,” says Jennifer McCue, President and CEO of Bethany Care Society. “Establishing fun and meaningful intergenerational relationships improve health outcomes and quality-of-life for our residents as well as bringing together diverse age groups. Together this creates positive engagement and promotes our campus of care model to help our residents’ age in community.”

“Community is more than a location, it’s a place with a unique personality,” says Nancy Klensch, CEO, Creator and Innovator. “The best communities are inclusive, encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to interact and grow together”

Intergenerational programs promote the communication of cultural traditions and values from older to younger generations, weaving experiences of the past, present and future.

Klensch added, “Summit Kids and Bethany are creating a place where multiple generations can come together to learn, build relationships and benefit daily from their interactions together. It’s such a special place we are calling it Summit Start”

On October 11, the Honourable Ministers Tanya Fir and Rebecca Schulz will officially open the daycare and also celebrate the one year anniversary of Bethany Riverview.

One of the unique features about Summit Start will be the extended hours of operation that accommodate parents on shift work, which gives parents the chance to better meet family and personal needs, as well as having more control overtime schedules. The daycare is open to accept children from the community as well as those working at Bethany Riverview.

About Summit Kids / Summit Start

For more than 10 years Summit Kids has been providing our unique program to Calgary and area families.  Built upon an initial vision that each child should be treated as an individual, Summit Kids changed the landscape of childcare, providing high-quality programming and enhanced learning environments. Summit Start was born from the request by our parents to create a similar program for their children ages 12 months to 5 years old. Our mission in our Daycares remains the same as our Out-of-School Campuses and Spring & Summer Programs, we will provide the highest quality care for our “Summit Kids” ensuring an unparalleled learning experience where children can thrive on their own terms.  We remain committed to the belief that every member family deserves the best that we have to offer, and every child should have access to a Summit Experience.

The Summit Group of Companies are heart-centric, focused on improving our children’s confidence, teaching them about love and compassion while assisting them in learning to navigate the world. Visit summitstart.ca for more information.