News

HIPPY Program Initiative for Mildura

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 07:00:00

A highly-effective international program that improves the school-readiness of vulnerable children is to be rolled out in Mildura.

The HIPPY (Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters) is a free, two-year home-based parenting and early childhood program assisting parents with developing the skills to be their child’s first teacher.
It will be delivered in Mildura by Mallee District Aboriginal Services (MDAS) under the auspices of the Brotherhood of St Laurence.
HIPPY Mildura is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education through the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters.
HIPPY was introduced to Australia in 1998 and, since 2008, it has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Education.  It is being delivered in 50 sites nationally with 25 new programs starting in 2014.
MDAS Early Years Manager Danielle Dougherty said HIPPY is a two-year program delivered through a mix of home visits and parent groups, with parents enrolling the year before the child began formal schooling.
“HIPPY is a great fit with MDAS’s existing Early Years Program because it focusses on building the capacities of parents to prepare their child for school,” Ms Dougherty said.
“It is designed to be integrated into the daily life of the family but parents need to commit to working on the HIPPY activities at regular times each day.
“It supports early literacy development by creating a love of learning and a learning environment at home.”
Ms Dougherty said HIPPY was an important step towards Closing the Gap on reading, writing and numeracy achievements for Koori children.
“The program improves communication between children and their parents and gives parents a sense of empowerment in their children’s education and involvement in the school and community life.”
Independent analysis of HIPPY has found the program narrows the gap in school readiness between disadvantaged children and the Australian norm.
It found that at the beginning of the program HIPPY children’s cognitive development – numeracy and literacy – were on average up to 30 percent below the Australian norm.  But after two years of HIPPY, children’s cognitive development was the same as the Australian average.
HIPPY parents reported:
• Feeling more confident in their role of raising their child
• Being more able to access services for their children
• Rating their sense of “neighbourhood belonging” more highly
• Being more involved in their child’s learning and development
The Brotherhood of St Laurence spokesperson said HIPPY also provided parents with a pathway to employment and a secure job.
“As part of the HIPPY structure, the program employs tutors – parents who can dedicate 15 hours a week for two years and our aim is for this to provide a pathway back into the workforce for many people,” the spokesperson said.
“A recent Department of Education evaluation found that there was a 50 percent increase in the rate of paid employment for parents who were in the program.
“HIPPY is an enormous success story – it stands out as one of the most effective and efficient of the early childhood initiatives of recent years.
“It is a highly-targeted investment that will repay itself many times over.”
A committee to establish the Mildura program is due to be formed this month, with a coordinator to be appointed in April and the program to begin in June.