HIPPY Girrawheen and HIPPY Rockingham are two of only nine HIPPY sites across Australia to have been selected as ‘Age 3 Demonstration Project’ sites for 2020.
The Age 3 Demonstration Project aims to deliver Age 3 HIPPY to 10 families at each location, with a focus on supporting a positive learning environment in the home through play-based activities. In line with this, the program will include a 30-week play-based curriculum, with storybooks and activities, which have been developed to align with the Australian Early Years Learning Framework.
Evidence suggests that play-based learning has immense value for children in the early years particularly around enhancing language skills, supporting pre-literacy skills, developing social and emotional skills and fostering creativity and imagination.
The Age 3 Project, funded by Brotherhood of St Laurence, will sit separately from the current HIPPY Age 4 and Age 5 program, which is funded by Department of Social Services, with the intention that the Age 3 Project will be the initial HIPPY pathway for families, who will move into the more structured Age 4 program in 2021 and Age 5 program in 2022.
The Project will work alongside the current HIPPY program to contribute to nurturing the relationship between the parent and child; empowering parents to be supported as their child’s first and forever teacher.
To find out more about Ngala managed HIPPY programs click here https://www.ngala.com.au/program/home-interaction-program-for-parents-and-youngsters-hippy/