Impact evaluation and evidence synthesis of Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY)

The Australian Centre for Evaluation (ACE) worked with the Department of Social Services (DSS) to evaluate the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY). This work looked at the HIPPY 's impact and reviewed findings from other Australian studies of the program.

HIPPY is a 2‑year program. It helps parents build the skills and confidence to support their child's learning at home.

Methods

The evaluation used a mix of data and research methods, including:

• linked government data
• HIPPY program data
• a survey of parents
• interviews with parents.

The main part of the evaluation used linked government data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA). It looked at HIPPY's impact on 5 areas of children's development, measured through the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).

The evidence review looked at 12 Australian studies of HIPPY completed between 2003 and 2026, including the most recent work by the ACE. It looked at who the program supports, how it is delivered, and the outcomes it achieves. ACE also rated the strength of the evidence for each outcome using a 5‑point scale.

Key findings

The impact evaluation found that:

• HIPPY likely improved children's language and cognitive skills by a small amount.
• There was no evidence that HIPPY improved the other areas of child development measured by the AEDC.
• HIPPY likely increased parents' confidence, understanding of how children learn, and involvement in their child's learning.

The review of evidence found that:

• HIPPY is reaching the families it is designed to support.
• HIPPY likely improves outcomes for parents, family involvement with schools, and children's literacy and numeracy skills.
• The strength of the evidence varied across outcomes, and no outcome had persuasive or conclusive evidence.
• There is not enough evidence to know whether HIPPY provides value for money.