Sesame Street in Communities (SSIC), a program of Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that produces Sesame Street, has launched a suite of online resources to help Family Promise and other providers better serve children experiencing homelessness. When they decided to tackle the issue, they engaged Family Promise, the nation’s leading nonprofit addressing family homelessness, as one of their expert advisors. The result is a remarkable collection of bilingual materials for Family Promise Affiliates, parents, caregivers, and other providers to help children cope with the trauma of losing their home. The books, videos, articles, and exercises are available on SSIC’s website and on YouTube.

Family Promise’s 200+ Affiliates nationwide can incorporate them into case management and share them with partner agencies. Designed not only for families experiencing homelessness and their providers, the materials also aim to reduce the stigma of homelessness that too often informs the public perception of these children and their parents.

Sesame Workshop also attended the 2019 Family Promise National Conference in San Antonio, Texas. They conducted a media workshop, gave an inspirational talk, and provided printed copies of their “We Got This” book for conference attendees.

The collaboration between Family Promise, with our 30-year history of community engagement, and Sesame Street, with its nearly 50-year commitment to addressing kids’ developmental, physical, and emotional needs, holds the potential of being a transformative step in the effort to raise awareness and support for families experiencing homelessness.