School Readiness of Participants in the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters Program (HIPPY): Associations With Sociodemographic and Parenting Factors

• In Event: Understanding Parent and Family Factors in Early Learning Settings

Abstract

The Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters Program (HIPPY) is an evidence-based school readiness program for families with preschool-aged children. In Canada, Multicultural HIPPY is a branch of the program specifically designed to support newcomer and refugee families. As part of the ongoing evaluation of this program, data is collected yearly on participating children’s school readiness skills, families’ socio-demographic characteristics, and parenting behaviours that support school readiness. This paper reports on the findings from five Multicultural HIPPY sites. We examined changes in children’s school readiness skills from before and after HIPPY participation. We also examined these measures in relation to socio-demographic and parenting behaviours. Our findings confirm the value of Multicultural HIPPY for newcomer and refugee families.

Authors

• Camilla Enns, Simon Fraser University

• Lucy Lemare, Simon Fraser University