‘Sesame Street’ tackles addiction crisis
They’re exploring the back story of Karli, a bright green, yellow-haired friend of Elmo’s
‘Sesame Street’ is taking a new step to try to help kids navigate life in America — it’s tackling the opioid crisis.
Sesame Workshop is exploring the back story of Karli, a bright green, yellow-haired friend of Elmo’s whose mother is battling addiction. The initiative is part of the Sesame Street in Communities resources available online.
Karli had already been introduced as a puppet in foster care earlier this year, but viewers now will understand why her mother had to go away for a while.
Children’s therapist Jerry Moe, the national director of the Hazelden Betty Ford Children’s Program, helped craft the segments and resources, saying he was grateful to help since there’s been a small number of resources for the preschool age-group.