Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY)
Available in Whittlesea, Victoria.
Life Without Barriers co-ordinates the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters Program in Whittlesea, Victoria.
About HIPPY
HIPPY is a two-year, home-based, early learning and parenting program that empowers parents to be their child's first teacher and supports their transition to school.
As part of the program, parents receive free resources, activity packs and storybooks to assist in actively playing and learning with their child. Each pack has activities for you to do with your child and ideas so that learning can happen anywhere at any time.
Parents are paired up with a HIPPY mentor who will visit them in their home, fortnightly at age three and weekly at age four, to practice the activities with them.
Who is a HIPPY mentor?
HIPPY mentors are parents who are also completing the program with their child or have recently graduated from it.
They are trained in the program's activities and will practice them with parents at each home visit. Children do not have to be present when the mentor visits.
Mentors can be met at home or somewhere else, like a park or a library. After this, parents do the activities with their child.
Who can apply for the HIPPY program?
Families who live in Whittlesea, who have a child turning three before April 30th, who are willing to work with a HIPPY mentor and spend fifteen minutes a day doing fun activities with their child are welcome to apply.
Preference is given to families who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, or those on a health care card.
A commitment of two years is required.
HIPPY is fun and it's free
If you live in Whittlesea, contact Life Without Barriers now for more information of how this program will prepare children for formal school. Simply fill out the form and a staff member will be in contact shortly.
The Brotherhood of St Laurence holds the licence to operate HIPPY in Australia. HIPPY is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Social Services. You can see the full program's website here.