Sesame Street tackles parental addiction with introduction of new muppet Karli

Sesame Street is once again using its platform to tackle some tough issues.

On Thursday, the children’s television series introduced it’s newest family member Karli, a six-year-old muppet whose mother is struggling with addiction.

Using the story of Karli, a 6 ½ year old Muppet whose mom is struggling with addiction, we have created resources to offer hope and optimism to children and families facing similar challenges. Learn more: https://t.co/q0Dfjd3fpa #SunnyDaysAhead pic.twitter.com/qxyYWEnL9j

— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) October 10, 2019

The introduction of Karli comes as part of the Sesame Street in Communities workshop surrounding parental addiction, which hopes to remind children that they are not alone by offering helpful resources for parents and providers.

Addiction is seen as a “grown-up issue” but it impacts children in ways that often aren’t visible. Take a look at our new resources that help the whole family cope and build hope for the future. https://t.co/q0DfjcLE0A #SunnyDaysAhead pic.twitter.com/xshx5ixIpp

— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) October 10, 2019

A number of videos within the online toolkit see Karli explaining to her friends the ways her mother works on “taking better care of herself” through rehab and group meetings.

Some videos also feature muppet parents explaining the grown-up issue of addiction to their children, calling it a disease that Karli's mom needed help from the right grown-ups for.

This is not the first time that the popular television series has helped families via representation, in recent years they have also touched on everything from family homelessness and incarceration to divorce and autism.