Project Description

COA’s HIPPY Program Empowers Children and Parents

At the heart of COA’s Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program is the mission to empower parents as their child’s first teacher and improve school readiness for children along the way. But to Jessica Namaste, COA’s HIPPY Program Director, HIPPY is more than a place of employment; it is where her own transformation as a parent began:

“When I was in HIPPY, my Parent Partner, Sarah, taught me a lot about patience. At the time, I was a young mother, and she helped me navigate parenthood. She taught me how to have more fun with my daughter and the importance of spending meaningful, one-on-one time together.”

Since becoming Program Director, Jessica has led the HIPPY program through many exciting changes that included: introducing new initiatives for families, supporting her staff in the transition to virtual learning sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic, aiding in the creation of HIPPY programming at COA’s Burke Center, and expanding summer programming for families.

“HIPPY is not just a school readiness program; it is so much more. It is a parent empowerment program that gives parents tools to not only educate their children, but to bond as a family, learn more about their children, and gain an understanding of their child’s development.”

For many families like Jessica’s, HIPPY is not just about the curriculum. HIPPY encourages one-on-one time with children, and helps establish new routines such as homework time or reading together before bed. It strengthens relationships parents have not only with their child enrolled in HIPPY, but also with the entire family. HIPPY has a lasting impact on families that continues long after they graduate from the program.

HIPPY participants say:

“The most important lesson I have learned is that any moment can be a teaching moment.”

“We’ve learned the importance of dedicating specific time to have quality experiences with our children.”

“The most important thing I have learned from the program is that my children are the most important thing to me and seeing their happy faces as we spend time together is priceless.”