Grandparents serve an important role in influencing and raising our next generation, sometimes as primary caregivers. According to the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, there are more than 70 million grandparents in the United States, including 2.4 million “grandparent caregivers” with primary responsibility for grandchildren under 18 who live with them.
That’s why UnitedHealthcare and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, celebrate National Grandparents Day, a way to recognize their contributions and to support these important people in the lives of children and families. This year, it is being held on Sunday, September 11.
Helping children develop a lifetime of wellness and well-being
Sesame Workshop is a leader in early childhood education. Partnering with them allows UnitedHealthcare to provide resources and tools to grandparents that help children establish lifelong healthy habits.
UnitedHealthcare is proud to have worked with Sesame Workshop to address a variety of initiatives including healthy eating and ways to address food insecurity, environmental issues such as lead safety, clean air and asthma prevention, and the following healthy skills:
- Cognitive development/problem-solving: Helping children reinforce healthier pathways in the brain.
- Self-regulation: Helping children focus on goals and tolerate frustration can help them learn how to manage the process of learning new things and mental health stressors.
- Relationships with caring adults: Healthy and consistent relationships with adults can allow children to feel comfortable and supported.
- Developing social and other important skills: Many important skills, such as being flexible and cultivating creativity, are learned through play.
Since 2010, Sesame Workshop’s Growing Every Day, Every Way has provided educational resources for families on important topics, such as feeding the whole family with healthy food and food assistance resources. Lack of access to enough healthy food is a challenge for more than 10% of households in the United States.
Free activities and resources are available with fun, new ways for grandparents to connect with grandchildren and help them build social and emotional skills and help make these tough times a little easier.
Learn more about Grandparents Day resources and events.
