The need for the HIPPY program arose in response to the calls-for-action heard from across the nation. Since incorporating as a non-profit organization and obtaining charitable status in 2001, the HIPPY Canada national office at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC has received inquiries from over 100 communities.
HIPPY Canada is mandated with four key operational functions: national coordination, developing HIPPY sites in communities across Canada, support of these sites, and ensuring long-term sustainability.
HIPPY Canada is committed to a collaborative, cost-effective strategy that relies on partnerships with existing, complementary service networks and organizations.
Ten Successful Years
In June 2009, HIPPY Canada celebrated ten years of success by toasting the 2,533 families it supported through its sites.
Click here to download the 2007-8 HIPPY Canada Annual Report
(Adobe Acrobat 3.1 MB)
Click here to download the 2006-7 HIPPY Canada Annual Report
(Adobe Acrobat 3.1 MB)
Click here to download the 2005-6 HIPPY Canada Annual Report
(Adobe Acrobat 3.1 MB)
Click here to download the 2003-5 HIPPY Canada Biannual Report
(Adobe Acrobat 1.2 MB)
Click here to download the 2002-3 HIPPY Canada Annual Report
(Adobe Acrobat 3.2 MB)
HIPPY Britannia
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, HIPPY Britannia was Canada's first fully operational HIPPY site. It began operation in 1998 in partnership with the Britannia Community Centre, Simon Fraser University and the National Council of Jewish Women, and runs out of the Britannia Community Centre located in Vancouver's Eastside in the Grandview Woodlands neighbourhood. The site plays a key role as a resource for the other sites; and has worked with over 400 families from 24 nationalities, of which 90% completed the program.
At present, there is one full-time coordinator and four part-time home visitors.
HIPPY Calgary
HIPPY Calgary began in August 2009 through the generous support of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The site operates out of the Calgary Immigrant Women's Association (CIWA), an agency that has been serving immigrant women and their families since 1982. Last year HIPPY Calgary worked with 82 families with 88 children who spoke more than 24 languages and came from all parts of the world. The HIPPY Calgary staff consists of 9 team members, including the program coordinator and 8 home visitors.
For more information please visit our website:
http://www.ciwa-online.com
HIPPY Oakville
HIPPY Oakville opened its doors in December 2007 and is able to deliver the HIPPY Programme in five languages besides English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish, French. At present, there is one full-time coordinator and 5 part time home visitors. Partnership with Michelle Knoll Oak Park Moms, Tots, and Michelle Braida St. James Catholic School. Currently, we are serving 47 children, and 45 mothers. Funding is provided by Halting Healthy Community Fund. Also, the Public Health Nurses of Halton Region have been strong supporters in the HIPPY group meeting. Their willingness to accommodate the specific needs of our families is outstanding. They discuss a wide range of topics during the meetings which always provide relevant and useful information to the parents.
Oakville is known as one of the richest communities in Canada and for its natural beauty. However, there is a considerable percentage of the population - almost 50 % who are functioning below level two in literacy. People in this category lack the skills for applying for a good job or tasks as simple as going to the doctor. Poverty is also present in our residents most notable in new immigrants 13. 7%. For these reasons and for these people, we strongly believe that Oakville needs our service. They are trying to change the course of their lives and HIPPY Oakville is doing an extraordinary job changing them from feeling hopeless to being successful in Canadian society.
For more information visit our website:
http://www.hippyoakville.org/Default.asp?id=1
HIPPY Ottawa
HIPPY Ottawa began at the Vanier Community Services Centre in December of 2008. The HIPPY Ottawa community supports 40 families and has 4 dynamic and caring home visitors who speak French, English, Spanish and Arabic. The HIPPY Ottawa program is offered in French and English. We have a culturally diverse community that includes; Haitian, Moroccan, Mexican, Egyptian, Colombian, Karen, Iraqi, and Lebanese families. We offer weekly home visits, monthly group meetings and outings to many cultural events. We are one of the Vanier Community Services Centre programs and are supported by: The Friends of HIPPY Ottawa and the Vanier Community Services Centre.
For more information about our HIPPY program please go to:
www.hippyottawa.ca
HIPPY Québec
In Montreal, HIPPY's 2005 launch in the Côte-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough was the result of a partnership between the Salvation Army, Elizabeth House and The Centre for Literacy. The Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation provided the start-up funding necessary to create this first French/English bilingual HIPPY site in Canada. HIPPY-Québec was created in January 2009 in order to develop and sustain HIPPY programs in Québec. During 2009-2010, the organization created a board of directors, obtained its first grants, was granted registered charitable status and became responsible for the operation of the Montréal site. HIPPY-Québec offers the program in both French or English.
Having obtained its charitable status in 2010, HIPPY-Québec took charge of the administration and the development of the HIPPY program in Montréal following the transfer of these functions by The Centre for Literacy. HIPPY-Québec thus undertook to participate in the work of several Notre-Dame-de-Grâce tables designed to coordinate service delivery to families and immigrants. HIPPY- In Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and adjacent areas, HIPPY served 43 families, with a total of 46 children participating in the program. Of the families benefitting from the Montréal program, 93% are of immigrant background, with 70% being new arrivals (in Canada for less than 5 years). HIPPY participants represented 13 different languages and 22 different countries: Algeria, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Congo, England, Egypt, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Three home visitors delivered the HIPPY curriculum to the families, while an administrative coordinator managed the organization and oversaw program delivery.
For more information, please see:
http://www.hippyquebec.org.
HIPPY Red Deer
The HIPPY program was introduced in Red Deer, Alberta in January, 2009. This program is funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to help Immigrant families to have an educational environment at home. Home visitors help moms and/or dads to be the first teacher of their children creating a strong bound between them. Home visitors make referrals on how to locate, access, and use available and appropriate community resources, motivating families to be involved in the community and be knowledgeable about different programs they can benefit from. Through this help, moms/dads are getting out of the isolation, out of the culture shock; they are gaining back their confidence and they are empowered to go and help new families as well. We serve and provide our services in a variety of languages to be able to increase sense of unity amongst different cultures and backgrounds. In Red Deer, our families have the privilege of being the clients of an Immigrant Organization called Central Alberta Immigrant Women’s Association – CAIWA-. As CAIWA, we have the capacity to support the families giving them the benefit of all our programs. “As is our confidence, so is our capacity.” (William Hazlitt)
HIPPY Toronto
The Program started in 2005 at the Jane/Finch neighborhood in Toronto, and was funded by Trillium Foundation at that time. Due to the successful delivery of the program in Jane/Finch, the program expanded in 2008 through a funding by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to run in five different neighborhoods in Toronto; Thorncliffe and Flemingdon Park, Victoria Village, Davenport/Perth, Malvern, and the Francophone and Karen communities. At Thorncliffe Park our partner agency is Thorncliffe Neighborhood Office. At Flemingdon Park we are partnering with Flemingdon Neighborhood Services. At Davenport/Perth our partner agency is Davenport/Perth Neighborhood Centre, and at Malvern we are partnering with the early years centre of Malvern Family Resource Centre. HIPPY is offered in both English and French. HIPPY Toronto is currently serving 210 mothers and 260 children. Languages spoken in the families are: Tamil, Portuguese, Twi, Karen/Burmese, Spanish, Mandarin, Urdu, Pashtu, Arabic, Dari, and Farsi. Newcomer families are from African, Asian, European, Latin American, and Middle Eastern backgrounds. HIPPY Toronto is currently operating with a staff of: 20 part time Home Visitors, one HIPPY Program Manager, 4 Site Leads, and a part time Program Administrative Support Worker.
For more information please visit our website:
http://www.workingwomencc.org/
HIPPY Squamish Nation
We are pleased to be offering the HIPPY Program to families of the Squamish for the third year now. We have had a change in Home Visitors and Tammie Baker brings much experience, enthusiasm and skill to the position. This is Tammie s Second time as a HIPPPY Home Visitor! As with all new programs, it can take time to become established in a community. Our program is supported by many and promoting literacy in each program we offer is a priority.
Katzie HIPPY
Katzie HIPPY is located 100km East of Vancouver in Pitt Meadows B.C on the Katzie First Nation situated on the banks of the Fraser River. The community population is approximately 300+. HIPPY was launched in April 2002 out of the Katzie Health Office. Last year serving 10 families, 13 children we are excited to begin the new year with two new Home Visitors.
HIPPY Musqueam Nation
The Musqueam First Nation is presently enrolling children in the HIPPY program. We are located on the beautiful shore of the Fraser River in Vancouver BC. The Musqueam community offers HIPPY to all of its members and has done so for the past 8 years. Our HIPPY program had 12 families enrolled last year and we expect more to register in the coming year.
HIPPY Tsleil-Waututh Nation
We are currently offering the Aboriginal HIPPY program to all members in the community. The site operates out of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Administration Office with two home visitors, Sarah Thomas and Meade Manson. Last year there are 13 families involved in the program which is the highest so far. This year will be the second year that we are serving the French Curriculum to the families and we are excited to start.
http://www.twnation.ca
Urban Aboriginal HIPPY
Urban Aboriginal HIPPY is currently offered at Aboriginal Child & Family Support Services supported by Vancouver Native Health Society. Began operating in the fiscal year of 2005/2006. The site operates out of the Phil Bouvier Family Centre where HIPPY is offered in English. Last year serving 17 families - 19 Aboriginal children the program was a great success. These families speak English at home but they represent many different nations from the aboriginal culture which some practice their native language. (Staff: one HIPPY Coordinator/Home visitor working full time (40 hours a week). Funding for Urban Aboriginal HIPPY is generously provided by Vancouver Native Health Society.
For more information visit our website:
http://vnhs.net
In addition to these the HIPPY Canada office receives a steady stream of inquiries about the HIPPY program.
