By Amanda Pevey
Elmore/Autauga News
H.I.P.P.Y stands for Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters.
It’s a FREE home-based preschool curriculum made up of 2, 3, and 4 year-olds that live in Elmore County. This includes; Eclectic, Deatsville, Elmore, Holtville, Millbrook, Redland, Elmore County side of Tallassee and Wetumpka areas. This program consists of story books and activity packets once a week.
The program was created to help parents prepare their children for school. They have implemented programs for student readiness and skills to prepare children for success when they begin school full time.
The HIPPY program involves a HIPPY Coordinator; MaryAnn Forelle and four Home Visitors. They include: Donna Collins, Katie Carlisle, Amber Hoggard, and Amanda VanHouten. A Home Visitor makes home visits once a week to role play lessons with the parent only. The parent will work with his or her child on their own time for 15 minutes a day in their home. Families are provided with a curriculum and all needed supplies along with training on how to effectively teach his or her child. Additionally, there will be six group meetings that will be fun and very helpful information that families can enjoy.
Things to remember about H.I.P.P.Y:
- FREE Home-Based Curriculum with Supplies
- FREE Home Visitor to instruct the parent on the curriculum
- FREE resources for families
- FREE AND FUN Group Meetings
- FREE BOOKS
“As a mother myself, I understand well the challenges facing parents as they try to juggle the many demands placed upon them. Trying to find the time to spend individually with children in an effort to prepare them for school, in addition to spending time offering love and support, is difficult. HIPPY offers parents and children the opportunity to do both,” said MaryAnn Forelle; HIPPY Coordinator.
Orientation meeting is tonight at Wetumpka Middle School at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria to learn more about the HIPPY program for all families that would like to join for the 2022-2023 school year.
For more information please visit their Facebook page at: www.Facebook.com/ElmoreCountyHippy.com or their website at: http://www.elmoreco.com/federalhippy. You can also call (334) 567-1200 ext. 24009 to speak to the HIPPY Coordinator; MaryAnn Forelle, or e-mail her at: maryann.forelle@elmoreco.com.
