Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes - Supporting Military Families with Young Children

This is an evaluation of Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes (TLC II), a multimedia kit designed for young children in the United States (US) whose parents have deployed (for military duty) multiple times. Developed by Sesame Workshop (the US organisation behind the early childhood education television show Sesame Street), the kit (the second of three - please see Related Summaries, below, for more details) includes what are intended to be developmentally appropriate and appealing DVD episodes starring the Muppet character Elmo, a parent magazine, and a poster.

The research design of this study includes both an active intervention (the "test" group) and a control condition (the "comparison" group). Families in the test group received the TLC II kit, while families in the comparison group received a Sesame Street Healthy Habits for Life kit, which included a DVD of similar length, as well as print materials for caregivers and children featuring Muppet characters but with a non-military storyline. Specifically, the Healthy Habits for Life DVD focused on the need for nutrition and exercise and used Sesame characters to help parents and caregivers instill healthy behaviours in young children.

This evaluation included a national sample of 282 caregivers of children ages 2-5 years-old representing active and reserve components drawn from all branches of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) who participated in 2 telephone interviews 4 weeks apart.

According to the report, the TLC II kit was "widely used, had high appeal, and was perceived as extremely relevant. Participants from Army families in the test group gave it higher ratings overall, and, along with participants from Active Component families, judged it more relevant than participants in the comparison group."

• According to caregivers, the key component of the kit was the DVD. Almost 100% of all caregivers reported that their child watched it, and most (97%) watched it with their child. This provided an opportunity to address children's concerns: Approximately 50% of the caregivers discussed deployment issues (e.g., "that the parent will come home just like Elmo's dad did"); about 25% discussed feelings and emotions (e.g., "how the child feels when the parent is away"); and 14% discussed activities (e.g., "things to do while the parent is away").
• Most caregivers (83%) reported that their child rated the DVD highly. Almost none of the caregivers said that there was anything confusing or hard to understand about the kit.
• Caregivers reported that a large majority of the children had very positive emotional reactions while watching the DVD. However, several significant differences emerged between the test and comparison samples, likely due to the different content and purpose of the two DVDs. In the Healthy Habits for Life DVD, dancing vegetables sought to teach young children that a healthy lifestyle can be fun. In contrast, the TLC II DVD explored a difficult and serious topic: families experiencing the effects of multiple deployments. Consequently, caregivers in the test sample reported that their children experienced significantly more negative emotions than caregivers in the comparison sample.
• Approximately two-thirds of the total participants, and three-quarters of those in the reserve component, reported that they were now "more comfortable helping their child cope with deployment" after having used the kit.
• Most participants, particularly those in Reserve Component and Hispanic families, reported that the information in the kit was "very" or "extremely" helpful. The most popular reasons cited for the kit's helpfulness were its tips and advice, its new activity ideas and ways to discuss deployment, and its usefulness as a vehicle to discuss feelings and emotions.
• One of the primary impacts of the materials is that participants' well-being increased after using them. For example, participants in both the test and comparison groups reported significant decreases in distress, suggesting, that the content for both DVDs was both effective in promoting a more positive outlook (the comparison materials targeting physical health, and the test materials targeting emotional well-being) and that the process of watching an entertaining Sesame Street DVD with their child was a positive experience for caregivers regardless of content.
• Most caregivers reported that child problem behaviours decreased after receiving the kit. For example, some caregivers in the test group reported that the child was less fearful, less shy, less worried, and screamed less; some caregivers in the comparison group reported that the child appeared less worried, less irritable, less frustrated, and got into fewer peer conflicts.
• Both of the DVDs highlighted ideal parenting practices and, perhaps as a result, sensitised caregivers to their own behaviour such that caregivers in both the test and comparison groups reported significantly more difficulty in providing high quality, sensitive care to their child after kit usage.

Editor's note: To request a copy of this 83-page report in PDF format, please contact June Lee at June.Lee@sesame.org