Perspective: Sesame Street tackles explaining deployments

On the show, Elmo's father will explain why he has to leave

NEW YORK — Children left behind when their mother or father or sometimes both are sent away to fight are the hidden casualties of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A PBS special with advice on how families can hold together during wartime separations is both a practical guide and a window into a world that many Americans are unfamiliar with.

"I don't think most of the American public realize how big a sacrifice this is," said Gary Knell, president and chief executive of Sesame Workshop, which produced the show. "Whether you are pro-war or anti-war, the fact is we have to help these children in need."

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