PARENTS in the Murraylands and Riverland are being supported to become their child’s first teacher through the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY).
The free early education and parenting program, delivered by ac.care in the Murraylands and Riverland, provides resources and fun opportunities to help young people aged three and four thrive in a home-based learning environment.
The role of parents in supporting their child’s exploration, experimentation, and expression is being celebrated as part of Early Learning Matters Week (August 18-24), which highlights the profound impact of early learning on children and communities.
ac.care HIPPY Murraylands age four tutor Jasmine Trevorrow connects with local families to help nurture these traits, supporting parents through the HIPPY curriculum to deliver an empowering, encouraging, and positive experience for children.
Supporting other families and seeing the benefits for children as a tutor inspired Jasmine to enrol her daughter, Leah, in the program to help her learning and school readiness.
“Before HIPPY, I knew that Leah was going to learn from me as her Mum, but I now really feel like her first teacher, and I’ve been able to give her that little bit of extra support, so I know that when she goes off to school, she is going to be ready,” Leah said.
“To see her progress, like learning to count to 10 or be able to identify colours, it has been amazing to witness, and seeing the joy on her face when she learns something new makes me happy.”
HIPPY supports parents through a curriculum of activity packs over two years, with each pack providing five activities and other learning ideas that can occur anywhere, at any time.
The learning focuses on five key areas – Thinking and Exploring, Communication, Creativity, Social and Emotional, and Family and Community.
“The learning is play-based, so you are having fun while working on fine and gross motor skills, teaching maths and science concepts, recognising shapes and colours, and much more,” she said.
“It is easy to forget that you are sharing in their learning, it just feels like play.”
Jasmine praised the program for supporting her parenting and now enjoys the opportunity to meet with other parents, with HIPPY tutors providing support through weekly (for children aged three) or fortnightly (for children aged four) home visits.
“We also have group gatherings and Leah gets to meet all the other HIPPY kids and I get to connect with the parents as well,” she said.
“It is a very diverse program, and it is great that the parents get to connect.
“I have made friends with a lot of the other HIPPY parents who go beyond the program.
“We all go around and talk about what activities we have done with our children and what ways we have changed them to suit our children’s needs as well.”
ac.care will publish a video highlighting Jasmine and Leah’s HIPPY journey on its Facebook page on Monday, August 18, as part of Early Learning Matters Week celebrations.
Its release is also timely, as we recently celebrated National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day on August 4, with this year’s theme, ‘Little Footsteps, Big Future,’ honouring the journeys children take as they grow.
Enrolments for the 2026 HIPPY intake will start around late January and will remain open until May. Children must be three years old before May 1, 2026, to enrol.
HIPPY tutors are typically parents who have completed or are completing their HIPPY journey with their child and are often re-entering the workforce after being a full-time parent.
Visit the Aboriginal Services page for more information, including access to an expression of interest form. You can also learn more about HIPPY at ac.care Murraylands Centre at 29 Bridge Street, Murray Bridge, or the ac.care Berri Community Centre at 5 Kealley Street, Berri.
The Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Social Services. The Brotherhood of St Laurence holds the licence to operate HIPPY in Australia.
