St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii will break ground Thursday on a 15,000-square-foot center in Ewa Villages that will integrate preschool children with senior citizens.

The $8 million project, known as the St. Francis Intergenerational Center, will include adult day care services for 42 seniors and a Montessori-based preschool for 92 children between the ages of 2 and 6.

Construction of the 1.25-acre site across from St. Francis’ 149-unit Franciscan Vistas Ewa senior living community is estimated to last six months. The facility is slated to open in the fall with a staff of 17.

"It’s very energizing for seniors and kids to get the benefit of fostering a grandparent-type relationship," said Pamela Witty-Oakland, the organization’s vice president of asset management. "From the keiki point of view, it provides an opportunity to foster those relationships with the older adults that they might not ordinarily have."

Seniors will be involved in storytelling and crafts with the children, as well as drawing, coloring and simply "playing together," she said.

"Older adults can share their knowledge and life experiences with young children, while the children bring joy and a sense of wonder for the older adults," said Jerry Correa, St. Francis president and CEO, recently appointed as the first layperson to head the organization. "It’s a win-win situation for both generations."

The nonprofit said the adult day care services will prevent loneliness and depression among seniors, provide respite for caregivers and teach children to have a positive attitude toward aging.

One in 4 Oahu residents will be over the age of 60 by 2030. The aging population, coupled with Hawaii’s cost of living that forces most parents to work rather than stay home with their children, exacerbates the demand for this type of intergenerational center, St. Francis said.

The center will have separate entrances; an adult day care room and lounge; four preschool classrooms; and a kitchen.

The Roman Catholic religious order was the first in Hawaii to create an intergenerational program — the Sister Maureen Intergenerational Learning Environment — in Manoa in 1996, now part of St. Francis School. The sisters intend to replicate the same social model in West Oahu.

St. Francis said it specifically designed the building for seniors and children with a large outdoor courtyard where both generations can commingle.

"We have a vision to address one of the long-term care needs of seniors," Witty-Oakland said. "This is one piece of that spectrum."

St. Francis acquired the site in 2003 with its purchase of 23 acres from the City and County of Honolulu for $4.3 million.

The property was subdivided for the various components of St. Francis’ master plan, which includes the Franciscan Vistas senior living community, townhomes and single-family homes that will be developed over the next few years.

The cost for adult day care is $65 a day from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., including breakfast and lunch. Preschool tuition is estimated at $600 a month.

St. Francis has raised more than $6 million for the project. It has launched a brick-donor campaign — ranging from $1,000 for a 4-by-8-inch brick to $2,500 for an 8-by-8-inch brick to be prominently displayed in the courtyard — to raise the remaining funds.

For more information, call 547-8030.