Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind “Sesame Street,” which reaches 156 million children across more than 150 countries, and Quest Diagnostics, a provider of diagnostic information services, have announced a new nationwide program to address health and well-being inequities among young children, particularly in low-income, rural and marginalized communities.  

The pandemic has had wide-ranging and lingering effects on children’s health, with many missing routine and preventive healthcare check-ups. The program’s English and Spanish-language resources are designed to connect and support parents and healthcare providers as partners in children’s care.  

Research conducted by Sesame Workshop indicates a need for “healthy teams” – a circle of care that includes parents, culturally competent healthcare providers and other caring adults. The initiative aims to reduce disparities by highlighting the strengths of each family and community, developing a common language around health and wellness, providing easy-to-understand resources and fostering strong partnerships between families, healthcare providers and other trusted individuals.  

“Sesame Workshop and Quest can promote positive outcomes for children and affirm families’ health and well-being by supporting equitable, culturally competent practices,” says Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president, U.S. social impact, Sesame Workshop. “Together, we’re creating strategies and messages around preventive and everyday healthy practices, building health literacy and addressing the increase in children’s food insecurity to reduce health inequities by empowering parents, caregivers and the providers who serve them.” 

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Quest is teaming up with Sesame Workshop as part of Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE), a multiyear program focused on providing a combination of donated testing services, education programs and funding to support initiatives working to close the gap in healthcare disparities in underserved communities across the U.S. 

“We are excited to support the launch of this important program to help reduce health inequities,” says Ruth Clements, vice president and general manager, infectious diseases and immunology, Quest Diagnostics and leader of Quest for Health Equity. “This collaboration with Sesame Workshop will create a solid network dedicated to supporting and improving health and wellness outcomes for children in under-resourced communities and empower parents to become strong advocates for their families.”   

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The new resources will be available on Sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/health/ and will be implemented with key national partners to reach families and children, especially those in marginalized communities, and distributed through Sesame Street in Communities, a program to support community providers in their work to help children face challenges, big and small.