Rosalynn Carter Institute, Sesame Workshop Reporting for Duty to Support Military Kids
New Partnership Will Provide Targeted Materials to Families Enrolled in Operation Family Caregiver
AMERICUS, GA – The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, today announced they have teamed up to support caregiving military and veteran families with young children in a new way.
Together, RCI and Sesame Workshop are delivering targeted Sesame Street resources to families with young children through Operation Family Caregiver (OFC), RCI’s signature military caregiving program. OFC provides free and confidential coaching, either virtually or in person, to help caregivers build the skills they need to cope with unforeseen challenges more effectively. Tailored to the unique needs of military families, the research-based resources created by Sesame Workshop include videos, articles, and activities that look at family-based care from a child’s perspective. Sesame Workshop’s resources have now been fully integrated into OFC; coaches receive ongoing training and guidance about how and when to incorporate them into sessions with caregivers
“Our founder Rosalynn Carter learned about the stress and isolation of family caregiving at age 13 when her father passed away,” said Dr. Jennifer Olsen, executive director of RCI. “She also experienced the challenges of raising young children when her husband was on active duty in the U.S. Navy. It is because of her dedication to supporting family caregivers that we are proud to partner with Sesame Workshop.”
Sesame Workshop’s Family Caregiving materials were designed to help children understand why their parent may look or act differently than “before,” how to safely express complicated or confusing feelings, how their parent’s illness or injury can change over time, and how to describe their family’s new situation to themselves and others. For adults, the initiative offers guidance on “re-learning” how to parent while needing care or filling a new caregiver role. More information is available on the Sesame Street in Communities website.
“We know the needs of families navigating loved ones’ care are tremendous,” said Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President, US Social Impact. “We are delighted to collaborate with RCI to make sure the youngest members of caregiving families are taken care of, too. We want every caregiving parent and child to know that they’re not alone, and that asking for help is always a brave thing to do.”
To date, OFC has helped more than 1,000 families, with caregivers who complete the program reporting reduced depression, fewer health complaints, increased satisfaction with life, and increased confidence in their ability to take care of their families; participants with young families reported a decrease in children’s anxiety, too. With this new partnership, RCI and Sesame Workshop are collecting critical data to help both organizations refine their programs to be even more impactful.
