(Photo Source: people.com)
Meet the new ‘Sesame Street’ character, Karli
Creators of the iconic children’s television show “Sesame Street” are tackling a hard but necessary issue: the opioid crisis. In an online-only segment, “Sesame Street” got into the backstory of one of its newest characters whose mother is battling addiction.
Part of the Sesame Street in Communities project, Karli, the green and yellow-haired Muppet introduced earlier this year who lives with foster parents, Dalia and Clem, reveals that she is in foster care because of her mother battles addiction.
Karli thanks Chris Knowing for taking care of her and Elmo while her mom “is at her meeting.”
When Elmo asks what kind of meeting Karli’s mom had to go to, Chris explains that Karli’s mom “has been having a hard time. So in order to help her get better, she goes to a meeting with her group,” Chris says. “They all sit in a circle.”
“They talk about grown up problems. She goes everyday so that she stays healthy. You see, my mom needs help learning to take better care of herself,” Karli says.
In a different but relating clip, Karli introduces her friend Salia, a real-life girl, whose parents are also in recovery.
“My new friend Salia is a very special friend, her mom and dad had the same problem as my mom — addiction. When my mom was having a hard time, I had lots of feelings. I felt like I was the only one, but now I’ve met other kids like Salia, and we can talk about it together,” Karli says.
Addiction is just one of the many issues “Sesame Street” has tackled to make them more accessible to kids.
By: Maytinee Kramer
