Oh There's No Place Like Home For the Holidays... by Sarah

So I've recently resurfaced after a long Christmas break. It was great to be home, watching Humphrey Bogart movies with my dad and eating my mom's amazing cooking every day, but not to worry, I still had HIPPY in the back of my mind! For example, I sat down to write Santa, and my hand just got away from me. And in 15 minutes I had this:

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Dear Santa,
I have been very good this year. What I want for Christmas is for there to be a HIPPY program in Carrollton and Farmers Branch communities. Here are a few reasons why:

Cost Comparison: Pre-K vs. HIPPY
Average Cost of Pre-K per child in Texas- $2700
Average Cost of HIPPY per child in Texas- $1200
You see, Santa, the benefits of HIPPY are far greater than those of traditional pre-k programs, including positively impacting not only the children, but their parents, the schools, and the home instructors as well. So in essence, HIPPY costs less, but does much more to help low-income families and the community as a whole.

At-risk Students:
The definition of “at-risk” includes “[The child] is in prekindergarten, kindergarten, or grades 1, 2, or 3 and did not perform satisfactorily on a readiness test or assessment instrument administered during the current school year.”
More than 800 kids were deemed “at-risk” to drop out of school in Carrollton Farmers Branch Independent School District in 2007 BEFORE they entered Kindergarten. Only the definition of “at-risk” previously stated can apply to students in pre-kindergarten, denoting that over 800 children this past year did not enter school ready to succeed.
The focus of HIPPY is to increase school-readiness in children, and Kindergarten teachers in other HIPPY locations overwhelmingly deem HIPPY alumni “ready for school” in terms of classroom adaptability and classroom behavior. Those students and their parents should really be on the 'nice' list. Implementing HIPPY could save more than 800 children from becoming at-risk for dropping out of school. Instead, those children would enter school confident and ready to succeed.

Pre-K Enrollment:
If we assume that there are roughly the same number of children aged 0 to 5 of each age (ie: roughly the same number of 1 year olds as 2 year olds) in Carrollton, this means that in 2006, only about 2/5 of preschool aged children were enrolled in a preschool program. Only about 2,000 children were enrolled in a pre-k program of about 5,000 preschool aged children.
Approximately 900 less preschool aged children were enrolled in a pre-kindergarten program in 2007 than in 2006.
For whatever reason, pre-k is not a reality for the majority of children in Carrollton. The implementation of HIPPY would provide a free, in-home service to those families who either can’t afford to have their children in pre-kindergarten, or can’t get their children to a center. HIPPY parent group meetings also provide parent interaction not present through traditional pre-k services.

Family Income:
The number of families in Carrollton making less than $25,000 per year rose from 10.8% of families in 2005 to 13.2% of families in 2007. While less than a 3% raise, that translates to approximately 800 more families living on less than $25,000 per year.
Families making less than $15,000 per year rose from 4.8% to 6.8%.
HIPPY does not only benefit the children of the community, but their parents and the home instructors as well. HIPPY parent alumni are offered the opportunity to become home instructors, often their first job. The home instructors receive an AmeriCorps college scholarship, which they can use to pursue a higher education and begin on their path to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. The home instructors and parents also receive job and self-development training, and build the confidence, self-esteem, and skills necessary to find a job and make lasting positive relationships in the community.

Also I would like a puppy, world peace, and a lifetime supply of mushroom pizzas. Did I mention how good I have been this year?
XOXOXO
Sarah
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I don't even know how that happened... but I hope he will give it some serious thought for next year (especially the mushroom pizza part... mmm...).

Hope you had a Merry Christmas, and are having a Fabulous New Year!