Supporting Mothers and Raising Toddlers (SMART)
SMART is a play-based home visitation program that works with vulnerable and isolated mothers of children between 18 to 36 months of age. It leverages the mother’s motivation to give their child the best possible chance at life, and builds the capacity, confidence, and community connections for the parents, as they take on the lead role in engaging their child in high-quality early learning activities. SMART families can seamlessly move into the Home Instruction for Parents of Pre-school Youngsters (HIPPY) program.
SMART strengthens families and communities by breaking the isolation and establishing connections with isolated, vulnerable, and often low-income mothers. It brings families into the fold of service delivery and enables families’ access to various essential services. It empowers mothers to better understand their rights and communities so they can meaningfully integrate and actively participate in Canadian society. SMART sets a solid foundation for children’s success at school and in life.
Professional Development
The program creates employment and provides professional development opportunities for racialized women, often mothers, who need flexible working arrangements to build skills and networks while tending to their care responsibilities. It also offers peer-based support to other isolated mothers in their communities.
SMART is an international program licensed from IMPULS Deutschland Stiftung e.V., and Mothers Matter Canada has been mobilizing, licensing, and building capacity for service delivery organizations to successfully implement it in Canada for five years. SMART is available in English and French.
Program Outcomes
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Reduced vulnerability and isolation of SMART families through increased awareness, access and uptake of essential services
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Stronger families through deepened parent-child and family bonds
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Catalyzed integration and settlement of SMART mothers and families through increased confidence, capacity, sense of belonging, and community connections
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Job creation and enhanced employment skills and professional networks for racialized and isolated women through a flexible peer-based work-learn training model
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Enhanced early learning in SMART children through stronger parent-child bonds and improved vocabulary, communication, social, and motor skills
Participants Receive
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1 year of FREE targeted and holistic programming for integration and settlement, and early childhood education
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Weekly home visits
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Group meetings with other mothers at least every 2 months
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78 play-based activity cards
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6 books and 20 toys
SMART Licensing Fee
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Non-HIPPY partner sites will pay a base fee of $3500 annually to serve 30 children or less. For every child over the 30-capped limit, the partner will pay $15/child in addition to the base fee.
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HIPPY partner sites serving 30 children or less will pay $1000 annually.
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HIPPY partner sites serving more than 30 children will pay a base fee of $1000 plus $15/child for each child over the 30-capped limit.
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All sites also pay for access to ETO, our Performance Management System for each SMART staff member, at the rate of $100/year/user for 2025-27, and of $120/year/user for 2028-29.
Note: HIPPY partner sites paying ETO user fees for their HVs, and coordinators and assistant coordinators do not need to pay the ETO user fees for SMART for the same staff.
