HIPPY USA

HIPPY USA stands for Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters. Parents are their children's first, and ultimately constant, teacher.

HIPPY helps parents empower themselves as their children's first teacher by giving them the tools, skills and confidence they need to work with their children in the home. The program was designed to bring families, organizations and communities together and remove any barriers to participation that may include limited financial resources or lack of education. 

A key component of the HIPPY model is their Role Play-based curriculum.  This method of teaching engages both children and parents in learning key object lessons. The HIPPY mission includes, “HIPPY strengthens communities and families by empowering parents to actively prepare their children for success in school. Parents are provided with a set of carefully developed curriculum, books, and materials designed to strengthen their children's cognitive skills, early literacy skills, and social/emotional and physical development.”

Another component of the curriculum is parent support.  Each center that works in a community employs in-home consultants.  The consultants provide additional training, a sounding board, and teach methods to ensure the parent and child are succeeding in their endeavors.

This model allows HIPPY to empower parents in “diverse ethnic and geographic groups across the nation, particularly those most at risk because of poverty, parents' limited education and social isolation.”