Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)
HIPPY is an evidence-based home visitation program designed to work with vulnerable, isolated, and often low-income mothers of children between three and five years of age. HIPPY leverages mothers’ motivation to give their children the best possible chance at life and builds their capacity, confidence, and community connections as they take on the lead role in preparing their children for school.
HIPPY strengthens families and communities by breaking the isolation by building trust and bringing families into the fold of service delivery by enabling access to various essential services. It empowers mothers to better understand their rights and communities so they can meaningfully integrate and actively participate in Canadian society. HIPPY prepares children for success at school and in life.​
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Professional Development
The program creates employment and provides professional development opportunities for racialized women, often mothers, who need flexible working arrangements to build skills and networks while tending to their care responsibilities. It also offers peer-based support to other isolated mothers in their communities.
HIPPY in Canada
HIPPY is an international program licensed through HIPPY International. Mothers Matter Canada has been mobilizing, licensing, and building capacity for service delivery organizations’ successful program implementation since 2000. HIPPY is available in both English and French.
Program Outcomes
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Reduced vulnerability and isolation of HIPPY families through increased awareness, access and uptake of essential services
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Stronger families through deepened parent-child and family bonds
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Catalyzed integration and settlement of HIPPY mothers and families through increased confidence, capacity, sense of belonging, and community connections
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Job creation and enhanced employment skills and professional networks for racialized and isolated women through a flexible peer-based work-learn training model
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Enhanced school readiness skills for HIPPY children through stronger parent-child bonds and meaningful engagement in high-quality early learning activities
Participants Receive
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Up to 3 years of free holistic programming for integration and settlement and early childhood education programming
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Weekly home visits
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Group meetings with other mothers at least every 2 months
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30 weekly activity packets each year (literacy, math, science, motor, language)
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7-9 books each year
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A set of HIPPY shapes
HIPPY Licensing Fee​
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Sites serving 30 children or less will pay $4000 annually. Sites serving more than 30 children will pay $3500 plus $35/child annually.
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All sites also pay for access to ETO, our Performance Management System for each HIPPY staff member, at the rate of $100/year/user for 2025-27, and of $120/year/user for 2028-29.
