Who

HIPPY is available for eligible families who live within the HIPPY catchment area. Children and families can start HIPPY two years before commencing full-time formal school - around three years old.

Priority is given to families who have not completed HIPPY before and meet one of the following criteria:

The child:

• is Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

• lives in out-of-home care
• has a developmental delay or disability and the program would support positive engagement
• has a parent or carer who identifies as having a disability;
• lives with a carer (i.e. not a parent); or

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The family

• holds a Health Care Card
• has no source of income or is receiving a form of government support payment as their primary source of income
• is a single parent family
• mainly speak a language other than English at home

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HIPPY families are supported by tutors who visit families in their home and in local community spaces. HIPPY tutors are usually parents who have participated in the program and are supported through weekly training on how to deliver the curriculum, work with parents and develop as professionals.

The HIPPY curriculum is aligned the Australian Early Years Framework and National Quality Standards(NQS) and was written by First Nations and CALD community members and experts, and early childhood professionals.

The curriculum consists of activity packs and storybooks designed to strengthen learning in the home and support children to be active, engaged, and successful learners.

Out of the children graduating from HIPPY in 2019:

• 98% perform above average in abstract, pre-numeracy skills
• 79% perform above average in literacy skills
• 90% of parents reported that their child was school-ready because     of HIPPY
• 93% of parents report overwhelming enjoyment of HIPPY by their     children.

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How to access

To see if there is a HIPPY site in a family's area, visit the website or contact 1300 394 396.

Resources

More information on the HIPPY program.