The Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Program is a home delivery model which provides training for parents to become involved in the educational process of their three-, four-, and five-year-old children. The core of the HIPPY program consists of weekly home visits, during which time parents are trained to teach their children. Participation in the HIPPY program provides parents with:
• an enhanced sense of their own abilities;
• the satisfaction of teaching their own children;
• the excitement of seeing their children's abilities grow;
• an opportunity for both fun and learning with their children;
• the support, guidance, and friendship, of trained community involvement specialists;
• a bridge to other agencies and organizations, that may help with other concerns, from lead poisoning, to domestic violence, to tenant-landlord disputes; and
• a resource center for child development, health, literacy, and much more.
The following activities provide support for families participating in HIPPY:
• Parent/Child Tutoring
• Community Service Referrals
• Parenting Skills
• Completion Ceremony
• Group Meetings
• Make and Take Workshops
• Career Awareness Day
• Student Services
• HIPPY Advisory Council
• HIPPY Awareness Day/Tallahassee
Requirements for Implementation
The implementation of the HIPPY model is centered around the recruitment, training, and professional development of parents from the immediate community, as community involvement specialists. These community involvement specialists provide the home instruction, and are the key to the success of HIPPY. Many HIPPY parents become more involved in the program, by training as community involvement specialists. They work as full-time employees visiting homes, modeling lessons, providing encouragement and advice, and receiving training and support through regular meetings with educational specialists.
HIPPY community involvement specialists gain job experience because the program's flexibility allows them to deal with their ongoing concerns as parents. As they work, they develop a sense of responsibility and critical skills, such as organizing schedules, writing reports, communicating, problem solving, and leadership skills. Two educational specialists provide support for full-time community involvement specialists.
Locations
Selected communities of Title I Schoolwide Programs.
Budgetary Implications
Funded through District Title I budget.
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