This story was originally published in Affordable Housing Finance.
For the past four decades, Sesame Street and its cast of colorful characters have helped preschoolers learn their numbers and letters as well as to be kind and considerate. But the popular PBS television show also tackles critical social issues affecting children across the nation.
In December, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, announced a major initiative to provide hope and help for young children experiencing homelessness and to mitigate the stigma of homelessness as part of its Sesame Street in Communities program. Programming was designed around Lily, a 7-year-old Muppet, whose family is staying with friends on Sesame Street after losing their apartment. Her character was originally introduced in 2011 to show her family’s struggle with food insecurity.
The resilient and relatable Lily is featured in videos, storybooks, and interactive activities aimed at families with children ages 2 to 6 as well as materials for teachers, social workers, and health-care providers. The resources are designed from a child’s perspective, and Lily and her friends encourage hope, promote understanding, and show coping strategies for children who don’t have a permanent place to live.
Lily’s storyline on Sesame Street is not unique. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, over 180,000 people in families with children experienced homelessness in 2018. Some data shows that number to be significantly higher.
“We know children experiencing homelessness are often caught up in a devastating cycle of trauma—the lack of affordable housing, poverty, domestic violence, or other trauma that caused them to lose their home, the trauma of actually losing their home, and the daily trauma of the uncertainty and insecurity of being homeless,” says Sherrie Westin, president of global impact and philanthropy at Sesame Workshop. “We want to help disrupt that cycle by comforting children, empowering them, and giving them hope for the future. We want them to know that they are not alone, and home is more than a house or an apartment—home is wherever the love lives.”
This story was originally published in Affordable Housing Finance.
