The Lives of Sesame Street: The Impact of Foreclosures on Young Children and Families

Abstract

While significant attention has been paid to Wall Street investors and families impacted by the current subprime mortgage crisis in the USA, the lives of Sesame Street are minimally discussed. Children and their families are enduring a variety of consequences of foreclosures. The consequences can be hugely disruptive to the approximately 2 million voiceless victims. For the youngest citizens of the USA — its children — the subprime mortgage crisis, particularly home foreclosures, is impacting school attendance, academic performance and achievement, social development and emotional well-being. The authors argue that media and political attention should also include the unintended and often unnoticed repercussions of foreclosures on young children and their education. It is also argued that educators and policy makers should create policies and develop concerted efforts to alleviate the negative impacts on young children.