Sesame Street has always been about more than learning your ABCs. For 50 years, Big Bird, Elmo and their pals have been at the forefront of teaching kids about compassion and kindness.
They’ve also always tackled difficult topics, and Sesame Workshop goes “wherever vulnerable children and families could most use The Muppets”.
That’s where our cover star, nine-year-old Lily comes in. She’s the newest Muppet in the neighbourhood. And she’s the first to be portrayed as experiencing homelessness.
“We knew that homelessness was on the rise [in the US],” Kama Einhorn, senior content manager at Sesame Workshop, tells The Big Issue.
In Australia, youth homelessness is also a big issue. Homelessness among Australians under 25 has increased by 26 per cent in 10 years. There are more than 43,500 children and young people without a home.
“That can be really traumatic. Instability has a devastating effect on young people,” says Kate Colvin, acting CEO at the Council to Homeless Persons.
“If a child feels as though Lily represents them, then that care can be transferred through watching the show. They can feel that people care about them.”