HIPPY Fact Sheet

The Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), is a home-based, early intervention program that helps parents teach their three, four, and five-year-old children. The program stresses the vital role that parents play in their children's education.

Mission:

To empower parents as primary educators of their children in the home and to foster parent involvement that maximizes the chances of successful early school experiences for their children.

 

History:

The first HIPPY program began as an experiment in Israel under the leadership of Dr. Avima Lombard at the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) Research Institute for Innovation in Education at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In 1984, HIPPY came to the United States. The first HIPPY program in Florida originated in Miami in 1985.

 

 Figures:

In 2009-10, there were 142 program sites in 23 states and the District of Columbia serving over 16,000 children nationwide. Seventeen of these program sites (from 11 programs) were in Florida serving more than 2,000 children.

 

Population:

Families with preschool age children within targeted communities.

 

Curriculum:

The curriculum is cognitively based, focusing on language development, problem solving and perceptual discrimination skills. The curriculum is written in a structured format with 30 easy-to-use activity packets for each age of the program. Activities generally take as little as 15-20 minutes a day for the parent and child to complete.

 

Instruction:

Twice a month home visitors, who are parents themselves, and reside in the targeted community, visit HIPPY parents in their home to role play the activity packets. They may also discuss any issues that have occurred during the last week. Every other week, parents attend group meetings with other parents, HIPPY staff, consultants, and volunteers.