HIPPY USA Official Statement on COVID-19

On Thursday, March 12, 2020, the President of the United States declared a national state of emergency regarding the evolving public health event surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, also referred to as COVID-19. Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) USA released this statement faction in response to this national event.

With the ever-evolving public health event surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19), HIPPY USA serves as an advocate, sounding board, and thought partner with our affiliate programs and staff members who are feeling the direct impact at ground level. We consider our role to be a conduit for information sharing through a national support network that fosters continuity of services for our families while maintaining the efficacy of the HIPPY model.

Our short-term plan of action is to help our program leaders adapt to the changing environment, even as circumstances change daily. This will include maintaining regular communication with our state lead agencies and local implementing agencies (LIAs), federal agencies and partners, finders, and our international network of HIPPY organizations. We are responding to individual requests from our affiliate sand other constituencies and offering timely and accurate information that can be shared throughout our network. Key elements of our short-term plan include:

Hosting regular conference calls with affiliates and with state offices;

Disseminating guidance to our network and stakeholders through hippyusa.org,

E-blasts and social media;

Providing specific guidance for our home visiting network, including alternate instruction methods;

Surveying our affiliates for feedback to develop our future communications and programmatic agenda; and

Creating an accessible repository for information sharing among our program staff.Included in this memorandum are guiding and supplemental documents, including our current FAQ,organizational resources, and parent resources to support our network during this national emergency.

We are taking every opportunity to stay informed and to share information as it becomes available. We also understand that information and guidance may be specific and uniquely applicable to certain communities and states in the coming weeks. Therefore, we strongly recommend that our program leaders and staff stay abreast of the latest information and adhere to the guidance and direction of their state and local health officials and leaders.The HIPPY USA National Office will continue to update information in the days ahead.

Please direct questions or inquiries to Shanta Nunn -Baro, Director of Development and Outreach, at the HIPPY USA National Office, 501.537.7726