Introduction: A Decade of HIPPY Research. (Introduction in Parents Making a Difference: International Research on the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Program.)

This introduction discusses the development of the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters program (HIPPY), a home-based early intervention program that helps parents teach skills important to school readiness and success to their 3 to 5-year-old children. This free service is delivered by HIPPY home visitors who live in targeted high-need communities. It discusses the goals of the book, including its advocacy of an international network that can increase the productivity, quality, and quantity of HIPPY programs, its use as a resource for HIPPY practitioners and for researchers, and its use as a resource for professionals in related fields and programs. Theoretical and conceptual perspectives on HIPPY are reviewed, as well as findings on HIPPY?s impact on children, parents, and communities. Strategies for navigating the research decision-making process are considered and the impact of research on program implementation is addressed. The final part of introduction reviews what is known about HIPPY, limitations of current research studies, and implications for programming.