HIPPY at Texas A&M prepares Brazos Valley children for early school success

A new home-visitation program led by the Texas A&M University School of Nursing is preparing children in the Brazos Valley for success in school. Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters, or HIPPY, launched this fall thanks to a $2.57 million grant from the State of Texas.

The HIPPY model helps parents of preschool-aged children build confidence as primary educators and promotes their involvement in school and community life.

Home educators from the School of Nursing visit weekly to support participating parents in teaching their children a 30-week curriculum containing educational activity packets and storybooks. Parents role-play the parent-child activities with home visitors before teaching their children. Home visitors also connect parents with community resources and help them identify opportunities to stay active in school- and community-related events and activities.

“Our home educators facilitate a comfortable, non-threatening experience that allows parents to build on the bond they already have with their child,” said Robin Page, PhD, APRN, CNM, associate professor and principal investigator of HIPPY at Texas A&M. “Research confirms that empowering parents to be strong educators greatly increases the chances of success in early school experiences.”

Professionally trained HIPPY home educators are supervised by a program coordinator. Stacey Brown, MEd, leads the school’s four full-time staff.  Brown, who holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Texas A&M, is a longtime preschool and elementary school educator.

“Parents want what is best for their children but are sometimes unsure how to prepare them for kindergarten and beyond,” Brown said. “HIPPY provides these parents with important guidance and resources that stimulate their children’s development.”

HIPPY at the Texas A&M School of Nursing is one of 12 programs in the state operating under HIPPY Texas.

HIPPY expands the school’s growing list of programs designed to address the full continuum of care for mothers, children and families. The school also brought the Nurse-Family Partnership® at the Texas A&M School of Nursing to the Brazos Valley, a program that uses specially trained nurses to support first-time mothers from pregnancy until the child’s second birthday.

HIPPY is currently enrolling new families. Parents of 3- and 4-year-olds interested in participating in HIPPY at Texas A&M should visit nursing.tamu.edu/hippy or call 979.969.7058.