One in six Canadian children still live in poverty.
- Campaign 2000

Poverty is a Problem in Canada
Canada?s national poverty rates remain at intolerable levels. According to the 2006 United Nations Human Development report 18.8 percent of Canadians live below the poverty line.

One in six Canadians lack functional literacy skills.
- Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL)

Poverty is Linked to Low Literacy
The MCL reports that Canada?s high rate of illiteracy is symptomatic of deep and widespread social inequality and exclusion resulting, in a large degree, from poverty. MCL argues that low-literacy, poverty and exclusion are all part of the same problem.

Canada's Children are at Risk
The short and long-term health, social, and economic development of over one million Canadian children is being compromised, as is the cognitive ability of future generations. The most relevant of MCL's findings is the assertion that children from low-income families are at risk of having literacy problems and their parents lack the capacity to advocate for their children in the school system.

An International Program - A Community-Driven Solution
HIPPY believes all children need and will benefit from effective early childhood development programs. However, the creation of a universally accessible system requires a myriad of services that will effectively take into account the diverse needs, interests and abilities of families seeking support.

The Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program was developed in Israel in 1969 as an evidence-based, community-driven response specifically designed for the literacy needs of families living on low-incomes and the lack of their children's school-readiness. HIPPY recognizes the parent as their child's first and best teacher. HIPPY then empowers parents with a fun, flexible and easy-to-follow format that helps them teach their children and prepare them for the demands of primary school.

Research and experience proves that the HIPPY program increases children's readiness to succeed in school by developing a parents' ability to teach with confidence. Focusing on the parents also fosters parental change in regard to their own self-worth, literacy levels and community involvement.

Today the HIPPY program is embraced and employed by nine countries that serve over 22,000 families. In Canada, our educational system effectively accommodates the learning and life styles of the 1:5 Canadians who struggle with conditions of intergenerational poverty and low levels of literacy.