Military Families Cope with Change

In 2006, Sesame Workshop launched a groundbreaking, bilingual (English/Spanish), multi-phase, multimedia initiative for young children and their military families called Talk, Listen, Connect. The initiative was born from a strong and singular hope—to recognize the thousands of American children and families who know all too well what it’s like to see a loved one go off to war. Now, three years later, Talk, Listen, Connect aims to provide support and significant resources for military families with children between the ages of two and five who are experiencing the effects of deployment, multiple deployments, and combat-related injuries.

When Sesame Workshop first began work on Talk, Listen, Connect, the need to connect with military families was startlingly clear. The research team at Sesame Workshop had recently discovered that despite the staggering number of children whose parents or siblings had been deployed, there were very few resources to help children and families through the difficult transitions that a job in the military requires. It is often said that when a parent or sibling is deployed, the entire family is deployed.

“As macho as you think you are, that you’re a U.S. soldier and a fighting machine, this particular fight, you can’t do alone, you need that family,” said a father and U.S. veteran during a television shoot for Talk, Listen, Connect.

To tackle this difficult topic, Sesame Workshop sought out experts to help design a program that could speak to military families using the power of media and the beloved Sesame Street characters. An advisory board consisting of leaders in child development and mental health, joined forces to guide the initiative’s direction and development. The outreach team at Sesame Workshop spent countless hours face-to-face with military families in an effort to understand the current situation of their lives, and the ways Sesame Workshop could provide coping strategies for the challenges they face.

“What is so powerful about this …is really the point of view of families, and the impact on children,” said Vice President of Outreach, Jeanette Betancourt. “We were honored to be able to go into their lives and hear what they have to say because it’s so important and makes such a difference for everyone, no matter what challenge they may be meeting.”

The first phase of the project Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Military Families During Deployment,received an overwhelmingly positive response. This initial phase included the distribution of 400,000 bilingual, multi-media kits with tips, strategies, and activities to encourage age-appropriate communication and openness between all members of the family before, during, and after deployment.

“If even Elmo and his family are feeling it, then there are other families feeling it too,” said the wife of a deployed Army Sergeant First Class. “This helps us feel like we’re not alone in this.”

In addition to the kits, Talk, Listen, Connect created a free, traveling Sesame Street Live! show, and its first PBS television special, “When Parents Are Deployed.”

“There’s not a whole lot out there right now that we’ve seen other than what Sesame Street has done to connect to the children in a safe and positive manner so they can talk about their feelings,” said a U.S. veteran during a television shoot for Talk, Listen, Connect.

The response to the initiative’s first phase was a success and a celebration, but it signaled that there still was more to be done. As members of the military returned home, researchers at Sesame Workshop began to see how homecomings could be just as hard on families as deployments, especially when a family member returned changed due to a physical or psychological injury. Thus, Talk, Listen, Connect’s second phase, Deployments, Homecomings, Changes, was launched to bolster the overall project and provide further resources for families on the path to discovering a “new normal” in their daily lives.

“We had a triple amputee come in recently who had not seen his 3-year-old daughter since his injury and was afraid of how she would react, “ an Army Staff Sergeant recalls. “I gave him the TLC kit and explained the materials to him. He was so happy that he started to cry with joy…as it was going to help his with his reunion with his daughter.”

During its second phase, the project teamed up with actress Queen Latifah and musician John Mayer to create a second television special called, “Coming Home: Military Families Cope With Change.” This primetime special allowed families to share their stories not only with other military families, but also with the general public.

While filming on the Sesame Street set, a father and U.S. veteran commented, “It’s a way for myself and others to express what we’ve been through, some of our ups and downs, some of the techniques that our families used to get through the good times and the bad times.”

Talk, Listen, Connect only continues to grow. In the summer of 2009, the program will launch Sesame Street Family Connections, a social website that will enable deployed or injured soldiers to interact more easily with loved ones when distance or disability makes everyday communication difficult.

With the help of all involved, Talk, Listen, Connect has set an exceptionally high bar in fulfilling an unmet need for children and parents of military families.

“You have enabled the healing process to move more quickly…” said Mr. Arthur Myers, Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Military Community and Family Policy. “You and your team represent the true American spirit and set the standard for others to emulate.”

Sesame Workshop and Talk, Listen, Connect hopes to carry the vision of exploring innovative, educational media to help families with young children for many years to come.