This one is better known as the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters and is all about helping parents prepare their children for Kindergarten.

Equipped with resources aplenty, the program offers parents activity books to support their four-year-olds learning the basics of numbers, letters and sounds. 

In Bowraville, HIPPY is coordinated by Nadia Abraham based at the MiiMi Aboriginal Corporation. It is open to Indigenous and non-Indigenous families and fully-funded by the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

“We are now at the end of our first year and have 26 families enrolled, which is excellent,” Nadia said.

“The program employs two parents as tutors. They then train parents to run the activities and understand the benefits for their children. We acknowledge that parents and carers are children’s first teachers so we support and encourage them in that role.”

Parent/tutor Sonia McEwen said HIPPY was a way of reaching families whose children were not at preschool, for whatever reason.

“It helps everyone get into the routine of school and overcome that anxiety that comes with starting school,” Sonia said.

Plus the program offers ways for families to connect.

“When you don’t know anyone, you don’t feel really comfortable but when those connections are there, it makes all the difference.” 

Enrolled families are visited at home fortnightly with group gatherings on alternate weeks. Tutors have two years casual employment as well as further training opportunities.

Nadia said other community development aspects of HIPPY were the connections made with groups such as the Men’s Shed, who make the wooden storage boxes for all the books, pencils and other goodies, as well as the local newsagent, where many materials are bought.

The program is now ready to take enrolments for next year and is keen to talk to families with children born in 2012, who are starting school in 2018.

For more information contact Nadia on 0457 160 138 or email hippycoordinator@miimi.org.au