Indigenous HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) and SMART (Supporting Mothers And Raising Toddlers) is an educational and supportive program for parents of children (18 month to 5-year-old) of Indigenous ancestry. Some services are no longer available such as bus tickets - child minding - meals. We do offer supports for online learning. ***
Welcome! Indigenous HIPPY & SMART Program is a Canada wide educational and supportive program for parents of children ages (18 month to 5-year-old). HIPPY is dedicated to support Indigenous families from all walks of life, including those impacted by the legacy of residential schools, poverty, and social isolation. HIPPY uses a Parent to Parent approach to teach their children culturally relevant curriculum to develop their early literacy and transmit a love of learning. Through home visits, Indigenous HIPPY provides parents with weekly easy-to-use activity packets that will help them teach their child essential skills and routine needed to be ready for school. Home Visitors are able to connect families to a wide range of resources and professionals in the community to build the bridges necessary through their learning journey and finding a real sense of belonging. HIPPY is about spending fifteen minutes a day with your child with a storybook, a puzzle, cultural song or game. When?
- HIPPY is a 30-week program from September to June. At the end of the year, families participate in a graduation ceremony
Where?
- Home Visitors work in the city of Vancouver on the unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.
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Virtual HIPPY – Our Response to the Pandemic Indigenous HIPPY Now delivers the program virtually! Parents commitment:
- Meet for one hour once a week at home with your Home Visitor (Online).
- Spend fifteen minutes every day to do HIPPY or SMART activities with your child.
- We invite families to participate at bi-weekly group meetings where we discuss many topics such as budgeting - parenting - culture - connection - and so much more!
