Back to School Isn't Just for Children: New Day Care Centre for Seniors Opens in Kunratice

Back to School Isn't Just for Children: A New Day Care Centre for Seniors Opens in Kunratice

Every year on 1 September, schools across the Czech Republic open their doors to welcome children back after the summer holidays. This year, however, a new day care centre for seniors also opened its doors in Prague's Kunratice district. Just like children and students, older people need a place where they can meet others, learn, and spend meaningful time together. For many families providing informal care, such a service is also an invaluable source of support.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

The Czech population is ageing rapidly. At the end of 2025, nearly 2.27 million people aged 65 and over lived in the country, representing approximately one fifth of the population. By comparison, seniors accounted for only 13% of the population in 1993. According to projections by the Czech Statistical Office, people aged 65 and over could make up almost 30% of the population by the middle of the century.

The balance between generations is changing as well. While the number of seniors exceeded the number of children for the first time in 2006, by December 2025 there were already 138 seniors for every 100 children under the age of 15.

Behind these figures lies a simple reality: many families today care for ageing parents while also balancing work and raising children. Facilities such as the new day care centre in Kunratice help families manage these responsibilities while offering seniors meaningful daily activities and valuable social contact.

The centre is part of the Senior Inn project, created to complement elderly care with engaging daytime programmes. The initiative was founded by Martin Navrátil and Jolana Jakoubková, whose goal is to combat loneliness among older people.

"We believe that later life should be active, dignified and connected to everyday community life. The primary mission of the SENIOR INN Foundation is to fight loneliness," says Martin Navrátil, Chairman of the Foundation Board.

The day care centre provides services for seniors, community activities, educational and cultural programmes. It helps improve the quality of life of older people, people with disabilities and their families, prevents social isolation, and eases the burden on family caregivers. Clients can participate in educational programmes, cultural events, exercise sessions and creative workshops, and they also regularly meet children from local kindergartens. The centre additionally offers transportation, assistance in difficult life situations, legal counselling and mediation services.

Connecting Children and Seniors

In addition to the day care centre, the founders also operate corporate childcare centres in Prague and other regions of the Czech Republic. It was here that the idea emerged to bring together two seemingly different groups—preschool children and older adults.

"Our vision is to build day care centres where these two generations naturally come together. Although they are at opposite stages of life, they have so much to offer one another," says Jolana Jakoubková, CEO of Firemní školky s.r.o. She adds: "We see intergenerational encounters as the key to respect, understanding and genuine human connection."

Senior Inn supports two regular intergenerational initiatives. Through the Povídej ("Let's Talk") project, children and seniors meet to draw, model, sing, bake and, above all, spend time talking together. In the Přečti ("Read to Me") project, seniors regularly visit kindergartens to read stories to children.

What Both Generations Gain

Bringing generations together fosters mutual understanding and respect. A child's relationship with a grandparent is often different from the relationship with a parent—less focused on everyday responsibilities and more centred on spending time together, talking and sharing experiences. The same can happen in day care centres and childcare settings. Seniors who wish to remain active and contribute to society gain new perspectives through working with children, while children learn that older people deserve a respected place in society and carry with them life experience, wisdom and the ability to recognise what truly matters.

Ageing as a Natural Part of Life

A person's value should never be measured solely by economic productivity. Yet society's perception of older people is not always positive and is often shaped by stereotypes suggesting that seniors no longer contribute and only represent a financial burden through pensions. The reality is quite different. Today's generation of seniors has spent a lifetime working and making a significant contribution to society. As the proportion of older people continues to grow, as illustrated by the Czech Statistical Office's figures, ensuring dignified ageing and adequate support will become an increasingly important challenge.

Life follows the same path for all of us—from birth and childhood to old age. Ageing is a natural part of life, and we should never lose sight of that. The example we set for our children today will shape how they one day care for us. Let us therefore treat older people with the respect and understanding we hope to receive ourselves.

For the project "Connecting Generations as the Foundation of an Inclusive Corporate Culture", Firemní školky, s.r.o. received second place in the Company Open to All Generations category at the Diversity Charter Awards 2026.

The company, which is also a Signatory of the Diversity Charter, is guided by a clear vision of creating a respectful, open and inclusive environment for employees, their children and the wider community regardless of age, family situation, disability or native language. It systematically responds to the growing age diversity of the labour market and to the need for a better work-life balance. A unique pillar of the project is its structured approach to bringing children and seniors together while encouraging employee volunteering in senior care facilities. Through this approach, the project contributes not only to the personal development of employees and children, but also to improving the quality of life of older people and strengthening intergenerational solidarity across society. Its overarching goal is to fulfil the vision of Firemní školky—to systematically connect generations and create a workplace where employees of all ages and life stages can fully realise their potential.