Congressman Cohen Highlights Military Family Programs

“More than one third of our 1.5 million American troops have served at least two tours in the recent war efforts,” said Congressman Cohen. “Sadly, many of them leave behind young children wondering why their parent had to go away. These children face serious challenges and they need the love and support of their neighbors and communities. Thankfully, there are options to help young children cope with the strain of having a parent deployed abroad.”

Statistics show that having a primary caretaker deployed to a war zone is one of the most stressful events a child can face. According to a 2007 report issued by the American Psychological Association, adults in the midst of their own distress are often anxious and uncertain about how to respond to their children’s emotional needs. The strain of separation can weigh heavily on both the deployed parent and the caretakers left behind. Additionally, reintegration of an absent parent back into the family often leads to complicated emotions for everyone involved.

There are military families programs available that can help. For example, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, is providing much needed resources with a goal of reaching all military families with young children, filling the gap in resources that had existed for preschool-aged children. Using the unique power of the Sesame Street characters, Talk, Listen, Connect, was first launched in August 2006 to help families and their young children cope with the challenges of deployment and build a sense of stability and resiliency during times of separation and change. Assessment work indicated positive benefits for both children and adults following use of these materials. In late April 2008, Talk, Listen, Connect responded to feedback from military families with the launch of a new phase of the project to provide support for service members and their children who are currently serving multiple tours of duty or who have returned home with significant physical or psychological injuries.

“Sesame Workshop has made it a priority to use our talent and resources to help ease the burden placed on military families through initiatives like Talk, Listen, Connect,” said Gary E. Knell, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop. “Children learn from Sesame Street characters like Elmo and Rosita, and if they can help these families during a difficult time, we are proud to be able to do so.”

Since 2001, more than 1.5 million American troops have served at least two tours in the recent war efforts. One in nine soldiers has suffered a traumatic brain injury and one in eight suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, there are over 23,000 American troops have returned from a combat zone with physical wounds.

Talk, Listen, Connect is a free resource available to all military personnel, reserve forces and the National Guard and can be requested through the Department of Defense’s Military OneSource. The resources are also available through Sesame Workshop’s website at www.sesamestreet.org/tlc.

Congressman Cohen added, “In celebration of Military Family Appreciation Week, I applaud the efforts of organizations which are striving to help ease the burden placed on these families who face the stark contrast of daily life without a parent or spouse and the constant worry of harm’s way during a deployment.”

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Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, 202-225-3265
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, 202-225-3265