HIPPY
Paddy Branham Debbie Fletcher
Coordinator Secretary
Brenda Belford Tonya Morgan Kelley Smith
Judsonia Searcy England
197 Children served 196 Children served 197 Children served
Sherry Evans Rhonda Betzner
Lonoke Hazen
167 Children served 135 Children served
Thirty (33) HIPPY Home Based Educators
GOAL AND OBJECTIVES:
The goal of the WDMESC HIPPY Program is to administer a national curriculum of early childhood, age and developmentally-appropriate readiness skills to three, four and five year old children; to maintain current information on and serve as a networking agency for families of the children identified as having needs; and to develop, provide, and administer appropriate in-service training for all personnel involved in serving HIPPY children and their families. The program is offered at no-cost to all families. Each child receives books. curriculum, supplies and enrichment materials to complete the weekly lessons.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
The HIPPY Program is a three year program responsible for identifying academically or educationally at-risk three, four and five year olds in member school districts and providing skills necessary for kindergarten readiness. Any three or four-year-old child is eligible to be screened, with those most in need being served first. The HIPPY Program works cooperatively with the WDMESC Early Childhood Special Education Program, local area Department of Health and Human Services, local agencies providing services specific to individual family needs, the Arkansas HIPPY Training and Technical Resource Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, HIPPY USA, the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education.
The WDMESC HIPPY Program has provided services to the locally identified at-risk children since the 1991-1992 program year. All four-year-old children will enter the kindergarten program at their local schools the following fall, with HIPPY encouraging the necessary family/school bond to promote educational interest and success. Linkage has been established and maintained with other preschool family service providers. An interagency advisory council networks to provide local expertise and community support.
Fourteen member districts and 892 students participated in the HIPPY program during the 2010-2011 program year. Funding for the program is provided by the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) Program, Title I, participating school districts, local colleges & universities, and the local communities served by the program.
