Pasadena Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is a home-based educational enrichment program for parents/caregivers of children 2-5 years old. The program uses an evidence-based curriculum to help parents prepare their children for success in school and life.
Contact
Home Instruction for Parents of
Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)
1845 N. Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91103
HIPPY@cityofpasadena.net
(626) 744-6198
Interest & Eligibility Form
If you are interested in enrolling and would like to see if you qualify for HIPPY Pasadena, please fill out the Interest & Eligibility Form.
Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters
What is HIPPY Pasadena?
Pasadena Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is a home-based program for parents/caregivers of children 3-5 years old. The program helps parents/caregivers prepare their children for success in school and life. Trained Parent Specialists meet with parents/caregivers in the home, local library, or park and conduct role-play activities with the parents/caregivers while providing support to each family throughout their time in the program. Families also receive support from a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW).
HIPPY Pasadena Goals
- Increase parents’/caregivers’ confidence to prepare their children for success in school
- Improve children’s cognition, communication skills, physical health and social-emotional development
- Improve children’s readiness for Kindergarten and academic success

HIPPY Pasadena Interest & Eligibility
Are you interested in enrolling in HIPPY Pasadena? Please fill out the interest & eligibility form below. Once the form is complete and submitted, a Parent Specialist will contact you within 2-3 business days to determine if you qualify.
Filling out the pre-enrollment form does not automatically enroll you and your child into the program. The Interest & Eligibility Form is required to begin the enrollment process.
Resources for Children 0-5
There are many programs within the City of Pasadena that offer services for children 0-5 years of age. HIPPY often works with different organizations within and across the City of Pasadena and surrounding areas. We also strive to create new relationships and partnerships with organizations that have an interest in early childcare education. Find out more about each organization below.
HIPPY Pasadena FAQ
Why should I choose HIPPY?
What your child learns today, will prepare them for the future and beyond. HIPPY will help prepare your child to enter school with the skills they will need to be successful in the classroom as well as the skill they will need to be successful in life!
How does HIPPY help children?
HIPPY is a program that works to increase your child’s skills in many areas while providing you, as a parent/caregiver, with additional knowledge of early childhood development. HIPPY gets your child ready for school with activities that are fun, interesting and meaningful. HIPPY touches on skills such as literacy, math, science, motor, and more!
How much does HIPPY cost?
Pasadena HIPPY is a FREE program. Once enrolled in the program, you will receive FREE books, materials for hand-on activities, mental health support, parenting resources, weekly HIPPY lessons, and access to FREE monthly HIPPY Learn and Play Group Meetings.
Is HIPPY only for low-income families?
No. If you live in Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre or surrounding areas, you may qualify for the program.
How do I enroll into HIPPY Pasadena?
After you complete the Interest & Eligibility form, a Parent Specialist will contact you within 2-3 business days to schedule your first home visit. Weekly home visits occur in the comfort and safety of their parent's/care's home.
How long is the program?
The program lasts throughout the school year or 25-30 weeks, from September/October to June/July and August off. If at any time you need to pause the program, your Parent Specialist can assist you to make changes to your enrollment as needed. It is highly recommended to complete at least 2 years of the program to achieve the best results.
What do I need to participate in the program?
Once you enroll in the program, your child will receive a backpack with school supplies, picture books, and the HIPPY curriculum.
Do I qualify for the program?
To qualify for HIPPY Pasadena, your child must be 2, 3, or 4 years old by September 1 and you must reside within the Pasadena, Altadena, or Sierra Madre area. If you live outside of these areas, HIPPY Pasadena will see if you qualify for the program. Priority is given to families that live within these areas. If you are out of state, you may be able to find a HIPPY Program near you.
What can I expect during a home visit?
Home visits are conducted in the comfort and safety of the parent’s/caregiver’s home Tuesday through Thursday with a trained Parent Specialist. During the weekly hour-long visit, the parent/caregiver and Parent Specialist will role-play each HIPPY activity. Parent Specialists only work with the parent/caregiver and do not work with children. Although children may be present, parents/caregivers will spend 15 minutes each day completing an activity with their child.
My child is currently enrolled in pre-school; can they still enroll in HIPPY Pasadena?
Enrollment into HIPPY Pasadena does not affect your enrollment or standing in other programs like preschool or head start. HIPPY Pasadena is a skill-building kindergarten readiness program that can be done in addition to other programs your child is already enrolled in.
HIPPY Events
About HIPPY Learn & Play Events
HIPPY Learn & Play events are perfect for children and families. Children and families take part in numerous enrichment activities to help build strong families. Activities include:
- Parent Cafés
- Arts and Crafts
- Parenting and Wellness Resources
- Story time
- And more!
Parent Cafés and Building Strong Families
Parent Cafés are physically and emotionally safe spaces where people talk and hear each other on topics that matter to them, such as the challenges and victories of raising a family, navigating landscapes of inequality, enhancing well-being, being involved in the recovery process of someone they love. Participants leave Cafés feeling inspired, energized, and excited to use what they have learned.
The Five Protective Factors for Parent Cafés
Resilience
Parental Resilience – Being Strong and Flexible. As parents, in order to deal with the stresses of life, we need to be strong and flexible. We need to be able to bounce back (resilient) when times get tough. Our mental health needs to be good so that we can be present and deal with long-term solutions instead of just reacting to every situation as it comes up. It helps to have role models and resources to be able to deal with challenges while raising your children, especially if you were treated harshly as a child. Family-serving programs can help us form trusting friendships with people who can help us stay healthy and resilient. By creating a welcoming space for supportive relationships to develop among parents these programs help us become and stay resilient.
Relationships
Social Connections—Parents Need Friends. When parents have positive, trusted friends in the community, there is a support system. We can think about problems together, give each other rides and meet other needs as they come up. Together, we work out and show the ways in which family and community problems should be handled. It is important that we get to know each other so that we know we always have support. We are not alone in dealing with the challenges of parenting. These relationships also give us people to celebrate with when things are going well.
Knowledge
Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development—Being a Great Parent Is Part Natural and Part Learned. Children do not come with a manual. Parenting is a learning process, and we need to understand normal child development. When our children are acting out or engaging in challenging behavior, we need to have a way for dealing with that behavior that does not involve bad punishments.
Support
Concrete Support in Times of Need—Everybody Needs Help Sometimes. Everybody needs help sometimes, and families that can get help when they need it are able to stay strong and healthy. It is a sign of strength to ask for help when you need it. Whether the need is caused by a crisis—like a death in the family or loss of a job—or an ongoing issue such as substance abuse or depression, being able to ask for and receive help is important in keeping our families strong. Sometimes the first step in getting help is seeing that our children’s health (mental and physical) depends on it. Often it takes a caring person in the community to help connect us to what we need, whether it is job training, transportation, food assistance, or mental health services.
Communication
Social and Emotional Competence of Children—Parents Need to Help Their Children Communicate. Children need to learn how to manage their emotions, express their needs and feelings, deal with conflict, and get along with others. When children can do these things, our job as parents becomes less stressful. There are quality programs—family support, early childhood education, after-school, and other programs—that help children develop social and emotional skills and work with parents to understand children’s feelings and actions. They can help us understand what is normal and what is not for children at a given age group, and they can help find signs that a child has special needs or developmental disabilities or has suffered trauma. They can work with parents to get help.
Upcoming HIPPY Events
Request HIPPY at an event
Would you like HIPPY to appear at an event, provide a presentation, or interested in HIPPY materials? Fill out a request and we will do our best to help.
Family Support Services
HIPPY families can take part in Family Support Services (FSS) sessions with a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). FSS aims to help HIPPY families’ health and well-being. Sessions include getting consent, filling out a Family Health Questionnaire, and follow-up meetings for resources and referrals. HIPPY families can meet with the LCSW about every two weeks if they need to.
HIPPY families do not have to take part in FSS. They can keep doing HIPPY lessons and meet with their Parent Specialist. HIPPY families will soon be able to take part in a screening to help find out any needs or referrals.
FSS sessions start after a HIPPY family has had a few visits with their Parent Specialist. The LCSW will work with the Parent Specialist to reach out to the HIPPY parent and offer FSS sessions. If a parent or guardian wants to take part in FSS sessions before talking to the LCSW, the parent or guardian can talk to their Parent Specialist. The LCSW will contact the parent as soon as they can.
What topics may be covered during FSS meetings for HIPPY families? Examples include:
- Supporting children in naming and labeling emotions
- Helping children to manage their feelings using relaxation skills to stay calm, self-soothe
- Positive parenting strategies and appropriate discipline
- Role modeling for children effective communication skills and using “I statements”
- Resources for mental health, anger management for children, coping with anxiety, self-care for parents, healthy eating and nutrition, toilet training, housing, etc.
- Referral information for local mental health agencies for children, youth, and families to receive therapy
Please note: Family support services sessions are not meant to be used in crisis situations or in place of therapy for a child or adult. Please call 911 in case of emergency. Please contact local mental health agencies to enroll in services and receive therapy or counseling.
Parenting and Wellness Resources
Infant and early childhood is a precious time that can also come with challenges. There are many resources out there to help families. On this page are resources for parents that may help.
Mental health services are available in the Greater Pasadena area. Those interested in getting mental health services (also known as “therapy,” or “counseling,”) should contact local agencies for more information. Emergency hotlines are also listed below.
Parenting and wellness resources were gathered by the Clinical Family Support Services Coordinator of the Pasadena HIPPY program. Please note that this page is not intended to be an exhaustive list of resources and mental health agencies in Pasadena, CA, but may offer useful information for those seeking additional support in the areas of parenting, wellness, mental health, and stress management.
Local Mental Health Resources
There are many mental health related services in and near Pasadena. There are community mental health agencies accepting Medi-Cal health insurance, in- and out-of-network mental health providers through private insurance and psychotherapists in private practice located in various directories.
Please note that the inclusion in this list of resources does not indicate endorsement by the City of Pasadena. Please contact agencies or mental health providers directly to find one that may suit your needs.
Emergency Hotlines
In case of emergencies, please contact:
- 911
- Psychiatric Mobile Response Team (PMRT) – (800) 854-7771
- Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – 988
- Domestic Violence Hotline – (800) 799-7233
For non-emergency situations, the peer-run “warm line” CalHOPE can be reached at (833) 317-4673. This is run by the California Department of Health Care Services.
How Parents Can Help With Child Anxiety
Calming Arts and Crafts
Coming Soon!
Stay tuned for awesome video tutorials of creating arts and crafts that are calming and easy to do right at home!
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS HANDOUTS
- Butterfly Breath (ENG | SPN)
- Soothing with Our Senses (ENG | SPN)
- Feeling Thermometer/Getting to Green (ENG)
- Labeled Praise (ENG | SPN)
- Warning Signs of Anxiety in Children (ENG | SPN)
- Growing Up Healthy and Happy (ENG | SPN)
- My Child’s Time (ENG | SPN)
- How Can I Help My Child with Anxiety (ENG)
- Healthy Sleep Habits (ENG)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Child Development (ENG)
- Daily Play (ENG)
- Deep Breathing for Children (ENG | SPN)
- Effective Communications (ENG | SPN)
- Feeling Chart for Kids (ENG | SPN)
- Feeling Thermometer (ENG | SPN)
- Getting to Green (ENG)
- Healthy Sleeping Habits (for youth) (ENG | SPN)
- Healthy Sleeping Habits for Parents (ENG)
- I Statements (ENG)
- Parenting During COVID-19
I’m Getting Ready for K!
Coming Soon
Help prepare your child for kindergarten. Half of the children in Pasadena are not fully ready for kindergarten upon entry. When children are not ready for kindergarten, they start school at a learning disadvantage and are likely to face more challenges on their path to success. By supporting children’s development in 5 key areas, you can help your ensure your child is on a positive track for success in school and life.
The I’m Getting Ready for K! Campaign is meant to increase awareness for parents, caregivers, and the community of the five key focus areas of early childhood development (physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and communication skills and general knowledge) and their role in preparing children for success in school.

Five Key Areas
Physical Health & Well-Being
Spatial awareness or knowing where your body is in space when near other objects is key in early childhood development. In addition, motor skills that use small movements of the hands, fingers, toes, lips or tongue, along with the eyes, is important for school readiness.
Social Competence
It’s important that children learn to talk (socialize) to other toddlers and learn how to act in different situations. Parents should be good models of how children should act with other people.
Emotional Maturity
Emotional literacy is a child’s ability to identify, understand, and respond to their own emotions, as well as others, in a healthy way. Body language, the way someone says something (tone), facial movements (e.g., smile, frown), crying, sweating, help a child understand emotion. When children focus, do not get lonely, do not get into fights, they do better in school.
Language and Cognitive development
Cognitive (Cog-ni-tive) Development is the building of thoughts, including remembering, problem solving, and decision-making. The way a toddler expresses themselves is connected to problems solving, fine motor, hand-eye coordination, and self-esteem. Toddlers’ brains grow very fast and which leads to a lot of thinking and exploring. To build your child’s Cognitive Development, have them play and interact with others more often.
Communication skills and general knowledge
Toddlers use different ways to communicate with others such as non-verbal gestures, visual arts, along with talking, dancing and singing. Parents can encourage children to express themselves appropriately.

How can you help?
If you are a community partner, provider or childcare entity (e.g., PUSD, Head Start, etc.), you may request materials to help promote the campaign. Materials include posters, banners*, stickers, door-hangars, stickers, table tents, post cards, bookmarks, yard signs and more! Materials are FREE.
* Limited quantities available for some items. Email hippy@cityofpasadena.net to submit your order.
Let us work together to help prepare Pasadena children for kindergarten!
Thank you for your interest in the Pasadena Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program!
Please answer a few questions to let us know a little more about you and your child. After you complete this form, you will be contacted by HIPPY program staff to get you started on your HIPPY journey!