HIPPY in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities Study

Learning how HIPPY can best support early childhood education in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities

Study overview

This evaluation will examine how the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) functions for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families and communities participating in the early learning program in the home.

This is the first BSL study to exclusively examine how the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) is implemented within Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities.

The study will include in-depth qualitative data collection in selected HIPPY communities. These sites provided an expression of interest to be involved and represent every state and territory in Australia, to reflect the diversity of the program’s participants and networks. The study will also collect stories and experiences from across all 100 HIPPY sites.

The project aims to use Indigenous research methodologies and exemplify authentic community co-design, with the following stakeholder groups:

About HIPPY

The Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) is a place-based, integrated parent/caregiver support and early learning program for four and five-year-old children which currently operates in over 100 communities across Australia.

HIPPY aims to promote improved support for caregivers as their child’s first teacher, build capacity in communities to support the transition to school, and draw on the strengths of the home learning environment to reduce the impact of multiple forms of systemic disadvantage.