Sesame Street for Military Families

For Providers

Retired Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, former director of the Defense Health Agency, and Elmo welcome you to the provider section of the site. Here you will find resources for yourself and for the military families you serve.

Your friends on Sesame Street are here to support you during the COVID-19 health crisis. Here are resources as you continue to serve families in their “for-now normal.”

How to Use These Resources

1. Watch

Providers should view the videos on their own to gain a sense of the steps that families go through for each one of the challenging transitions on the site.

2. Ask

The simplest way to start engaging military families is to ask them if they are part of the military and whether their families are going or have gone through a deployment, relocation or injury recently.

3. Share

Finally, share the handouts below each of the videos to give families simple strategies they can use immediately and encourage them to find more at sesamestreetformilitaryfamilies.org.

Resources by Topic

Transitions in Health Care

Watch

After a move, military families need to connect with new health care providers to keep everyone in the family feeling healthy. Watch this video to see some of the ways that military families might prepare to meet your medical team!

To a family, sharing information with new doctors in different medical settings can feel daunting. Read through some of the ways to understand the needs of the family as they connect with you, their new healthcare providers:

  • Sometimes, bringing a special item from home can help children feel calm. Think of connecting with the family prior to a visit to share this suggestion, and ask what special comfort item their children can bring to the appointment to stay relaxed.
  • Add some of these questions in your new patient questionnaire or ask them as the nurse completes their vitals exam.
    • What are some things you really liked about your old doctor?
    • What are some things you would like to improve from your medical visits in the past?
    • What are your biggest worries when it comes to your children when you have to change doctors?

Deployments

Watch

Military families may go through one or more deployments during a career. Watch this short video to learn about deployments before discussing it with the families you serve.

Possible questions:
The deployment experience is unique for every family. Ask a few of these questions to understand what is particularly relevant to each one:

  • Tell me about your family’s experience with deployment. What would be most helpful for you during this transition?
  • What are concerns for your children related to deployment?
  • Have you noticed any changes in your child’s behavior during the deployment?

Homecomings

Watch

The adjustments after a military homecoming can be very challenging. Watch this short video to learn about it before talking to families about their own experiences.

Possible questions:
Ask a few of these questions to understand the needs of the family as they adjust to the homecoming of a parent:

  • Has a family member recently returned from a deployment?
  • What would be most helpful for you, your children, and your family during this transition?

Relocations

Watch

Watch this short video to learn about a military relocation (commonly known as a PCS, which stands for a permanent change in station) before talking to families about their own experiences.

When moving, parents need help preparing for the changes ahead, including setting up a new health team. A health team can include health providers as well as services from a new educational program or school. Talk about how you can help:

  • Are there any specific healthcare services that you need to reestablish in your new location?
  • Has your family experienced a PCS recently?
  • What changes concern you the most about a PCS with your kids?

Grief

Watch

Helping a family cope with the death of a loved one can feel like an impossible task. Watch this short video reflecting on these challenges, and offering suggestions, before working with the families you serve. 

Every family will struggle with its grief in a unique way. To meet each family’s needs, try asking a few of these questions: 

  • Are your children struggling to understand what is happening? Are there things you need help explaining to your children? 
  • What kind of regular rituals could you put in place to remember your loved one as a whole family? 
  • Who is your support network? As you are taking care of your children, who can you talk to about your own feelings of grief and loss?