Investing in our future: an evaluation of the national rollout of the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) final report

Abstract

INVESTING IN OUR

FUTURE

An evaluation of the national rollout of the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) Final report to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, August 2011

Max Liddell, Tony Barnett, Fatoumata Diallo Roost and Juliet McEachran

Second edition 2011

Contents Acknowledgements

v

Abbreviations

v

Summary

vi

Key findings

vii

1

Introduction

1

2

The appropriateness of HIPPY

3

Impact of area-based disadvantage on parents and children

3

Government investment in the early years

4

Current Australian Government priorities and HIPPY

6

Potential for integrating HIPPY with state and territory initiatives and services

8

HIPPY as compared to other early childhood development programs

10

Summary and conclusion

15

3

17

The effectiveness of HIPPY

Methodology

17

Results

23

Characteristics of those involved in HIPPY

23

Child school readiness

24

Parentchild relationship

32

Parent wellbeing and soci