HIPPY Program Description
Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is an evidence-based parent involvement, school readiness program that helps parents prepare their 3, 4, and 5 year old children for success in school and beyond. The program empowers parents as the primary educators of their children in the home and fosters parent involvement in school and community to maximize the chances of successful early school experiences.
HIPPY is a peer-delivered model wherein trained home visitors provide weekly home visits, working one-on-one with parents of preschool aged children (age 3, 4, and 5). The Age 5 curriculum follows the child through the kindergarten year, thus reinforcing learning through a very intentional home-school connection. In addition to weekly home visits, the program provides monthly group meetings.
HIPPY Program Reach
Last year, HIPPY reached 743 children and their families through 6 programs in 8 counties, including: Adams, Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Denver, Jefferson, Rio Grande, and Saguache.
- 77% of Colorado's HIPPY children are Hispanic/Latino, 16% White, and 7% other.
- 56% of HIPPY families speak Spanish as their primary language.
- 99% of HIPPY families fall below the federal poverty level. The remaining 1% are low-income. More than half of HIPPY parents have not completed high school.
Colorado Parent & Child Foundation: Colorado HIPPY State Office
The Colorado Parent & Child Foundation is the nationally designated official Colorado HIPPY State Office, working to advance HIPPY programming statewide. We work in close partnership with HIPPY USA, the national office for the HIPPY model and its replication in the United States. For information on HIPPY nationally, see www.hippyusa.org.