Impact
Decades of research have shown the HIPPY model to be effective in improving school readiness, parent involvement, school attendance, and standardized test scores in reading and math throughout elementary school.
WHAT WE KNOW
Most recently, a quasi-experimental study of HIPPY in Florida demonstrated that the odds of passing the Florida schools readiness screening process were almost two times greater for children who participated in the HIPPY program and their odds of being promoted to first grade were five times greater than a matched sample (Payne et al, Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 2020).
In the US, HIPPY was one of the first seven national home visiting models to be included in the growing list of federally-approved, evidence-based models. This rigorous and independent review process confirms HIPPY’s growing body of evidence that HIPPY works. (For more information about the review, see https://homvee.acf.hhs.gov.) For more information about HIPPY’s impact in the US and internationally check out this link.
While we know HIPPY achieves the outcomes it promotes, there are still many questions remaining. Research and evaluation remain an integral part of our work. We welcome research partners. For more information, contact Miriam Westheimer miriam@hippy-international.org.
Social-emotional outcomes for HIPPY
While HIPPY focuses primarily on school readiness, a new study shows that it leads to positive socio-emotional outcomes as well. In a study of HIPPY in Wisconsin during the COVID-19 pandemic, program participants demonstrated reduced parental stress, reduced child externalizing behaviors, and improved child adaptive functioning over the course of the program. Additionally, parents who reported significant symptoms of depression at baseline demonstrated a decline in depression over time. (Koop et al. Infant Mental Health Journal, 2022)