Child and elderly care integration rises in Shenzhen, S China

A child is taken care of at a nursery in Shahe subdistrict, Nanshan district, Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Photo courtesy of Shenzhen Wellbeing and Wellness Group Co., Ltd.)

Early in the morning, an elderly citizen surnamed Luo walks her granddaughter to an elderly and child integrated care center in Dapeng New District, Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. The child heads into her nursery class with a teacher, while Luo turns toward the neighboring senior service center.

Located in Kuichong subdistrict, the elderly and child integrated care project is one of Shenzhen's largest facilities catering to both seniors and young children. The complex consists of two eldercare buildings and one childcare building, offering 52 beds for senior care and 55 spots for childcare.

The facility offers shared outdoor spaces where both elderly people and young children can enjoy time together.

Luo explained that, as a grandparent raising her grandchildren, she sometimes worries her parenting methods and ideas aren't keeping up with the times. In contrast, she feels much more at ease with the education offered by the daycare.

Shenzhen began laying out a city-level, state-owned eldercare and childcare platform as early as 2019, becoming a national frontrunner in this field. Backed by the state-owned Shum Yip Group, Shenzhen Wellbeing and Wellness Group Co., Ltd. was established in 2021 to develop an inclusive service system integrating health care, eldercare, and childcare.

In the care center in Dapeng New District, the childcare center occupies a standalone building converted specifically for that purpose. Entry requires separate registration and disinfection procedures, ensuring strict safety and hygiene standards.

"The nursing home and childcare center function independently, each staffed by trained professionals. Outdoor spaces, shared facilities, logistics, and security services are partially or fully shared," said a person from the senior service center at Kuichong subdistrict.

As China's youngest megacity, Shenzhen has a growing population of young children, along with many active seniors and elderly residents who move seasonally.

"You're going to nursery now, and I'll pick you up after afternoon tea." This is a common phrase heard at the service center of Gaofa Community in Nanshan district. After dropping off their grandchildren, many seniors head to an elderly service center to practice calligraphy or painting, or to receive massage and rehabilitation therapy.

In Gaofa Community, residents aged 60 and above account for 15 percent of the population, while children under six make up nearly 9 percent. The local government partnered with Shenzhen Wellbeing and Wellness Group Co., Ltd. to transform the community's Party-masses service center into a public service center.

By the end of December 2025, Shenzhen Wellbeing and Wellness Group Co., Ltd. had developed 229 eldercare, childcare, and medical service projects across the city, providing approximately 2,000 eldercare beds and 5,000 spots for childcare.