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Clair has always believed in the importance of early childhood education. She immigrated to Canada with her husband from China and their daughter was born shortly after their arrival in 2014. Clair found out about the HIPPY program through a friend and joined with her daughter. As a mother, she finds that having a guideline and following the curriculum is especially helpful:
Every mother would like to teach her kid. HIPPY can push us every day. It’s a guideline for me, what I can teach to my daughter. I just follow the materials.
After she completed the first year of HIPPY, Clair was so impressed with the program that she decided to bring it to China. Acting as a bridge between a partner non-profit organization in China, HIPPY Canada and HIPPY International, she started the process in 2018.
In March 2019, the HIPPY project officially started pilot work in Ye County, Henan Province, China. In the first phase, eight Home Visitors were recruited and trained, and 54 families are currently enrolled in the program. Clair explains that a lot of grandparents participate in the HIPPY program with their grandchildren because the parents moved to the city to find work:
They want good for their grandkids, but don’t have the methods. Now, they have received tools. They are so excited and appreciative because kids are the future of every family. HIPPY gave these families a lot of hope.
Clair hopes that the program can grow quickly and benefit lots of poor families. HIPPY China plans to recruit a total of 100 families to enter the program before the end of this year.