Network News
Sharing information, stories and more...
August 2026
EDITION 29
From the National Office
I want to begin this edition with an update on future HIPPY funding.
On 20 August, an update was provided to CEOs and senior leaders of HIPPY provider organisations. A summary was then shared with Coordinators and Line Managers through an LMS notification. We confirmed that back to base-line funding is available for the future HIPPY contract.
BSL and the Department of Social Services are currently finalising a high-level proposal for HIPPY’s future delivery. Government consideration and approval are still required before further details about future funding and delivery arrangements can be confirmed.
I recognise that there are still important questions to be answered. I also understand the personal impact this uncertainty may have on people balancing their work with family responsibilities, financial commitments and plans for the future.
We remain committed to keeping you up to date and sharing clear and accurate information as soon as it is confirmed and can be communicated.
Alongside this funding work, our day-to-day work very much continues. Business as usual means continuing to support the network and providing opportunities for professional growth and practical skill building.
Earlier this year, we supported providing opportunities for professional development for HIPPY network. These opportunities such as MoneyMinded coaching training, career coaching, and scam awareness sessions, were aimed at supporting network staff with practical learning that they can apply in their HIPPY roles and share with families and their wider communities.
Currently, Change Makers is building the leadership, advocacy and communication capabilities of nominated Coordinators and Tutors. These transferable skills can support participants in their HIPPY roles and in the wider community. We also recently hosted a well-attended webinar with Warren Cann on why the early home learning environment matters, providing another valuable opportunity to strengthen knowledge and practice across the network.
Looking ahead, media training will help network staff turn local stories into strong media pitches and raise awareness of HIPPY’s impact in their communities. In November, we also aim to run a series of Tutor workshops to support being job ready.
We also remain focused on strengthening our partnerships and raising awareness of the important work happening in communities across Australia. HIPPY Australia will contribute to the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) conference and be represented at the Early Childhood Australia (ECA) national conference as well as jointly presenting at the Anglicare Australia national conference. These events will provide opportunities to represent HIPPY, contribute our experience and insights to sector discussions, strengthen relationships and bring useful ideas and connections back to the network.
Thank you for your continued professionalism, patience and commitment to supporting HIPPY children and families.
Clare Seddon | Head of HIPPY
Key Program Dates
First Nations Governance Network (FNGN) online meeting.
For First Nations HIPPY provider CEOs and organisational leaders to share perspectives, discuss key issues and strengthen connections.
Save the Date: 9 September, 12:00-12:45 pm (AEST)
Join Scott Carbines (Media and Communications Manager, BSL) as he shares useful advice on timing, templates and how to capture and communicate your site’s successes. Tailored for HIPPY Coordinators and Line Managers, this practical training session will focus on turning your site’s story into a strong local media pitch.
Invitations will be sent shortly.
The next edition of the newsletter will be published in the first week of October.
First Nations Governance Network (FNGN) in-person meeting.
For First Nations HIPPY provider CEOs and organisational leaders to share perspectives, discuss key issues and strengthen connections.
The Annual Financial Report FY25/26 is due on 14 October 2026.
Importantly, the due date cannot be extended. Refer to the Finance Update section for details.
Resume Writing and Responding to Job Ads
Save the date. Invitations will be sent shortly.
Training dates and session times are available in HIPPY Training Updates.
Cover Letters That Stand Out
Save the date. Invitations will be sent shortly.
Training dates and session times are available in HIPPY Training Updates.
Interview Skills and Confidence Building
Save the date. Invitations will be sent shortly.
Training dates and session times are available in HIPPY Training Updates.
Biannual Actual reports (January - June 2026) were due 14 August. If you have any questions about these reports, please contact ETO HIPPY support by logging a ticket via the HIPPY Support Portal
National Office Updates
It’s time to complete your annual stocktake of curriculum materials. This helps us work out how many packs, storybooks and support materials your site will need for 2027.
Coordinators were emailed instructions on 19 August, followed by login details from our curriculum supplier, E-Bisglobal. If you haven’t received these emails, please check your junk folder.
Please complete your stocktake accurately and by the due date so your site has the materials it needs for a smooth start to 2027.
Stocktake deadline: Friday 11 September
Contact us for any additional information (clicking the link opens a separate window)
The recording of the BSL Talks session held on 30 July is now available.
The discussion explored cultural governance, power sharing, community-led engagement and self-determination in creating lasting systems change, reflecting on the transition of 21 HIPPY sites to local Aboriginal community controlled organisation (ACCO) providers.
Thank you to panellists Catherine Liddle (SNAICC), Rowena Mouda (Ngunga Group Women's Aboriginal Corporation) and Timmy Duggan OAM (Hoops 4 Health Australia). They shared their insights into the evolving role of ally organisations and what it means to genuinely share power with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Complementary to this, BSL and SNAICC have co-published a discussion paper about the learnings that came from the transition of HIPPY to local ACCOs, and this will soon be available live on our website.
Alongside the work underway on future funding arrangements, it is business as usual for HIPPY Australia. We continue to promote HIPPY, maintain strong sector relationships and ensure the experiences of our network are represented in national conversations about children and families.
In September, HIPPY Australia will actively contribute to two major sector conferences in Melbourne.
At the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) conference, from 9 to 11 September, we will present outcomes from the Disability in Action report and share insights from HIPPY’s transition to ACCOs. The Disability in Action report will be shared with the network before the conference.
At the conference, HIPPY Australia will also contribute to a joint symposium about the HIPPY evaluation. Program, research and evaluation partners will discuss the evaluation approach and reflect on their experience of working together. The symposium will focus on the evaluation process and partnership. It will not include or discuss the evaluation findings.
We understand that the network is keen to learn about the evaluation outcomes. As the evaluation was commissioned by the Australian Government, we are unable to share the results at this stage. The results will be made available if and when the Government determines they should be released. We look forward to sharing more with the network when we can.
HIPPY Australia will also be well represented at the Early Childhood Australia (ECA) national conference, from 30 September to 3 October. The conference provides an important opportunity to raise HIPPY's profile, strengthen relationships across the early childhood sector and stay connected to emerging practice, research and policy discussions.
A small delegation from the HIPPY Australia National Office will attend. This includes representatives from leadership and the First Nations network team.
In addition, we will also present with Anglicare WA and ac.care at the upcoming Anglicare Australia national conference. The joint presentation will share learnings from the transition of HIPPY delivery to ACCO providers, including the role of respectful partnerships and self-determination in supporting locally led change.
Our involvement in these events helps us to:
- promote HIPPY and the work happening across our national network
- contribute HIPPY’s experience and insights to sector discussions
- strengthen relationships with researchers, decision-makers and partner organisations
- identify new ideas, evidence and opportunities that may benefit sites and families
- bring insights and connections back to the network
We look forward to seeing Coordinators and other HIPPY colleagues attending. If you see members of the HIPPY Australia team, please come and say hello. We would love to connect with you.
Services Australia is raising awareness of unpaid Medicare benefits that may be owed to people in the communities we support. More than $270 million in benefits is currently owed to almost one million people across Australia.
Medicare can only pay these benefits when a person has valid bank details registered. Services Australia has developed a factsheet explaining how to check, register and update bank details. Please share this information with staff, volunteers and families who may benefit.
Download translated factsheets translated languages
The First Nations Governance Network (FNGN) brings together CEOs and organisational leaders from First Nations HIPPY providers to share perspectives, discuss key issues and strengthen connections.
Upcoming meetings:
- Online: 3 September 2026
- In-person: 7 and 8 October 2026
While meetings are primarily for CEOs and organisational leaders, Coordinators and other team members are welcome to learn more about the discussions and outcomes.
We welcome opportunities to share information and support connections across the network.
For information about the Network, upcoming topics or matters raised, please contact Annie Kent, Senior Manager HIPPY First Nations Network, at annie.kent@bsl.org.au
L&D Updates
Supporting Tutors to build their confidence and employment skills is an important part of creating pathways to future opportunities.
This November, Tutors are invited to participate in a series of practical Job Readiness Workshops designed to support them at key stages of the job search process. The workshops will cover:
- creating a professional resume
- writing tailored cover letters
- preparing for interviews and building confidence
The sessions will be facilitated by experienced employment and workforce development professionals Anna Johnson and Casey Townsend, who bring extensive experience supporting people to identify their strengths, develop job-ready skills and pursue meaningful employment opportunities.
Workshop dates, session details and registration information can be found in the HIPPY Training Opportunities section below.
Recordings and supporting materials from two recent network learning sessions will soon be available on the LMS.
The Retention workshop, Collective Wisdom for Site Stability gave Coordinators space to examine the factors influencing family engagement, learn from the experiences of other sites and consider practical approaches to retention.
Warren Cann’s webinar, Why the Early Home Learning Environment Matters, explored the importance of children’s experiences and relationships at home in supporting their learning and development.
We are currently editing both recordings and preparing the supporting materials. The resources will be available on the LMS by mid-September.
Finance Updates
Sites should use the relevant tab in the Financial Reporting template (available on the LMS) and enter data into ETO by the due date.
If your site is required to submit an Auditor's Opinion, you can submit your report on ETO first and send the Auditor's Opinion once finalised. Sites requiring an Auditor's Opinion will be contacted individually by early September.
All reports must be certified by your CEO (or equivalent) and CFO (or board member), with the certified copy uploaded alongside your ETO submission.
Instructions are on the Financial Reporting Template's Instructions tab.
Important: Failure to submit your Annual Financial Report on time is a breach of your HIPPY Sublicence and Funding Agreement and may result in a warning followed by a breach notice.
If you have any questions, please contact ETO HIPPY support by logging a ticket via the HIPPY Support Portal
Quality and Performance Updates
September includes several important dates recognising the value of literacy: Indigenous Literacy Day on 2 September, National Read a Book Day on 6 September and International Literacy Day on 8 September.
To mark these dates, we are sharing what Graduation Journey data tells us about families’ literacy experiences and outcomes. The data comes from forms completed by families who enrolled in HIPPY in 2024 and graduated at the end of 2025.
Storybooks and shared reading featured strongly in families’ responses. Families highlighted reading together, story time, bedtime reading and returning to favourite stories. Reading together was also the activity most often identified as supporting one-on-one connection between parents and children.
Parents reported improvements in their children’s vocabulary, conversation skills, listening and confidence in speaking.
Common literacy themes identified in families’ responses included:
- Storybooks and shared reading: 16-18%
- Learning together through literacy activities: 12-14%
- Language and communication development: 10-12%
- Building a love of books and learning: 8-10%
- Parent confidence supporting literacy at home: 7-9%
We're pleased to share that the updated Standards and Indicators for HIPPY Outcome Areas are now available on the HIPPY Support Portal.
The revised Standards and Indicators provide a clear picture of what quality HIPPY practice looks like across our network. They bring together the everyday practices that support positive outcomes for children, families, Tutors and communities, while providing a consistent framework for reflection, discussion and continuous improvement. They will help sites identify strengths, celebrate success and focus on the areas of practice that have the greatest impact on participant outcomes.
The framework remains organised around the four outcome areas:
- Children develop a love of learning early
- Families are empowered and engaged in their children's learning through building their own confidence, skills and knowledge
- Tutors build skills and capacity through employment, training and professional development
- Communities support and strengthen HIPPY families through local connections, services and partnerships
Within each outcome area, you'll find standards and indicators that describe the practices, experiences and opportunities that help make these outcomes possible.
The updated framework is designed to be a practical resource for sites. It can support planning, reflection and continuous improvement, while helping Coordinators, Tutors and provider staff recognise what is working well and where there may be opportunities to strengthen practice.
You will also begin to see the Standards and Indicators used more regularly in conversations with your Site Advisor. These discussions will focus not only on what sites are doing, but also on how those activities contribute to outcomes for children, families, Tutors and communities. The Standards and Indicators provide a shared language for exploring practice, recognising successes and identifying opportunities for growth.
We encourage all Coordinators and provider staff involved in HIPPY delivery to take some time to review the updated resource and consider how the standards and indicators are reflected in your site's current practice.
Access the Standards and Indicators for HIPPY Outcome Areas on the HIPPY Support Portal > HIPPY Standards and Indicators
Thank you for the important work you do every day to support HIPPY children, families, Tutors and communities.
If you need an ETO refresher or are onboarding new staff , remember the interactive ETO Refresher Module is available on the LMS
For day-to-day solutions, compliance steps, or tech support, visit the HIPPY Support Portal
Communities of Practice (CoP) Digest
Follow these steps:
- Open the relevant course (e.g. Safeguarding Fundamentals )
- Click Course Analytics in the top right corner
- Select Students from the top navigation bar within the section
From here, you'll see all your Tutors' names, their progress, and the completion date for the module
We understand it's helpful for sites to know who's in the HIPPY Australia National Office, what each person does, and how they can support the network.
Network News already runs a regular 'In the National Office' feature introducing team members and their roles.
We're exploring better ways to make this information easy to find, accurate and up to date; working towards a clearer who's who resource for the National Office that reflects current roles and can be updated as staff changes happen.
We'll share more once this is in place.
For a list of questions and answers raised during the recent CoP sessions, please visit the HIPPY support portal
HIPPY Training Opportunities
Get Pitch Ready: Media Advocacy Training for the 2026 HIPPY Graduation Season
As HIPPY sites prepare for the 2026 Graduation Season, join this practical media advocacy session to learn how to turn your site's stories into strong local media opportunities.
Scott will share strategies for moving beyond one-off media approaches and building a consistent, repeatable process that helps raise your site's profile and celebrate local success stories.
Date: Wednesday 9 September
Time: 12.00-12.45 pm AEST (Melbourne, Sydney, Queensland) | 11.30 am-12.15 pm ACST (Adelaide) | 10.00-10.45 am AWST (Perth)
Facilitated by Scott Carbines, Media and Communications Manager (BSL), the session will have an opportunity for questions at the end.
If you can’t attend the live event, you will have access to the recording via LMS.
Resume Writing and Responding to Job Ads
Want to improve your job applications and stand out to employers? Join this practical workshop to learn how to create a professional resume that highlights your strengths, experience and achievements, and discover how to tailor applications to meet employer expectations.
Date: Thursday 5 November
Time: 12.30-2.30 pm AEDT (Melbourne, Sydney) | 11.30 am-1.30 pm AEST (Queensland) | 12.00-2.00 pm ACDT (Adelaide) | 9.30-11.30 am AWST (Perth)
The session is facilitated by Anna Johnson and Casey Townsend, experienced employment and workforce development professionals who are passionate about helping people build confidence, recognise their strengths and take positive steps towards meaningful employment. Their supportive, practical approach will help participants develop job-ready skills and confidence for future opportunities.
Cover Letters That Stand Out
A strong cover letter can make all the difference when applying for a job. Join this interactive workshop to learn how to write clear, professional cover letters that capture an employer's attention and demonstrate why you're a great fit for the role. You'll gain practical tips for presenting your skills and experience with confidence and tailoring your cover letter to specific job opportunities.
Date: Thursday 12 November
Time: 12.30-2.30 pm AEDT (Melbourne, Sydney) | 11.30 am-1.30 pm AEST (Queensland) | 12.00-2.00 pm ACDT (Adelaide) | 9.30-11.30 am AWST (Perth)
The session will be facilitated by Anna Johnson and Casey Townsend, experienced employment specialists who support people to build confidence, identify their strengths and take positive steps towards employment. Their practical, supportive approach will help participants develop skills that can strengthen job applications and improve employment outcomes.
Interview Skills and Confidence Building
Interviews can be challenging, but preparation makes a real difference. This practical workshop will help you build the skills and confidence needed to perform well in interviews. Participants will explore common interview questions, learn effective interview techniques, and develop strategies for communicating their strengths, experience and achievements with confidence. The session is designed to help you feel more prepared, capable and ready to take the next step in your employment journey.
Date: Thursday 19 November
Time: 12.30-2.30 pm AEDT (Melbourne, Sydney) | 11.30 am-1.30 pm AEST (Queensland) | 12.00-2.00 pm ACDT (Adelaide) | 9.30-11.30 am AWST (Perth)
The session will be facilitated by Anna Johnson and Casey Townsend, experienced employment and workforce development professionals who are passionate about helping people recognise their strengths and achieve their goals. Drawing on their experience supporting jobseekers and connecting people with employment opportunities, they provide practical, supportive guidance to help participants build confidence and prepare for future success.
External Training Opportunities
ARACY and the FrameWorks Institute, supported by the Minderoo Foundation, invite you to a free webinar exploring findings from Measuring Early Years Mindsets: Patterns of Thinking That Shape Australia's Future.
Drawing on a nationally representative 2026 survey, the session unpacks how Australians think about early childhood, and how strategic framing can shift conversations towards shared responsibility and systems-based solutions.
You'll hear from Dr Nat Kendall-Taylor (CEO, FrameWorks Institute) and Melodie Potts Rosevear OAM (CEO, ARACY).
Register for the webinar
Schools need sustainable, evidence-based approaches that build staff capability to support student mental health and wellbeing, promote positive outcomes across the whole school community, and enable early intervention and prevention.
Join this free webinar to learn how the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) initiative is supporting Victorian schools to build a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing, and hear from leaders in education, MHiPS implementation and schools as they share insights into its development, application and impact across Victoria, and its adaptation for new pilots in Queensland.
Tuesday 14 September 2026 | 12:00 -1:00 pm AEST | Free Online webinar
This webinar will cover:
- the key components of the MHiPS model
- positive changes seen in participating school communities
- lessons learned from implementation in Victorian schools and adaptation for pilot sites in Queensland
- the critical role of leadership and partnerships in embedding effective mental health and wellbeing supports in schools
Register for the webinar
Read the initiative in full
Read the evaluation findings in full
For over 30 years, the Centre for Community Child Health has worked to understand and better meet the health, developmental and wellbeing needs of children.
The Centre sees the Thriving Kids as a unique opportunity to put evidence into action to improve children's development and empower families. The Implementing Thriving Kids series , written by contributing authors from the Centre and partner organisations, sets out what's needed for a strong national and state/territory approach to equity-focused action.
- Issue 1 outlines a practical dual-track approach: accelerating learning while building system capability
- Issues 2-6 explore implementation across each Thriving Kids domain of support
- Issues 7-9 look at system enablers: learning and evaluation, workforce development, and the contribution of children and families
All nine publications will be released over the coming weeks.
Issues 1 and 3 are out now .
Network Success and Innovation
HIPPY Ashmont marked
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day with a special
visit from someone we all know as Aunty Mary, who
shared her new children's book, Bipo and Roo
and the Magical Didgeridoo, with families and children.
 |  |
Every child who
attended went home with their own copy of the book, a keepsake for the joy of reading. The book follows two brothers who travel through time with a magical
didgeridoo, through a land of dinosaurs, ancient Egypt, a pirate ship, and finally
the Dreamtime, where culture is shared through song and verse. Its characters
are drawn from Mary's own grandsons, and the story grew out of a wish she's
carried for years: to be remembered by her grandchildren the way she remembers
her own nan; a storyteller who could hold a room and pass on culture and
family history through a simple yarn.
Thank you, Aunty Mary, and to Coordinator Mel Crawford, for capturing the day with such care, protecting the privacy of the children involved while still bringing the story to life.
Bipo and Roo and the Magical Didgeridoo is available to purchase online .
HIPPY Davoren Park (SA) was one of twenty-five community organisations at the NACYS Community Services Expo, held at the Davoren Park Shopping Centre. The event brought around 100 local community members through the door, connecting them with the range of services and supports available in the area.
The HIPPY stall gave the team a chance to raise awareness of the program locally, and picked up several new expressions of interest along the way.
Senior Tutor Kath, who also works one day a week with NACYS as a Family Connections Worker, played an instrumental role in organising the Expo and continuing to build HIPPY Davoren Park's connections across the local service sector.
At the HIPPY Living Our Truth panel earlier this month, Nola Earnshaw spoke about truth-telling through a deep, personal narrative.
 |
Her mother, Cecilia, was removed from her Aboriginal family at the age of six. The story was never complete, and Nola has been piecing it together in recent years: through records, but more so through long conversations with cousins, on Country she never had the chance to have growing up.
"Living our truth," she shared, "is about finding out the facts and passing them on." To her two daughters. To her three grandchildren. Bringing it full circle.
For those who tuned in, it was a conversation that stayed.
Nola is a proud Wardandi Ballardong Noongar woman and has been the Coordinator of HIPPY Gosnells, based at Communicare in Cannington, for more than eleven years.
This year, she has added published author to that list.
The Ngoolarks Need a Hollow is part of MultiLit's InitialWrite Foundation program. The story follows a flock of Ngoolarks searching for a hollow to sleep in among the trees of Western Australia.
 |
The Ngoolark, known to non-Noongar Australians as the Carnaby's Black Cockatoo, is endangered and found only in the south-west.
Growing up, it was a bird Nola grew up hearing freely in the trees that surrounded her and has always loved.
The published work is a result of being invited to write a book for early years readers, and what began as a story about nature and belonging deepened into something more.
In the process of writing, Nola discovered that the Noongar people already carry traditional stories about the Ngoolark: stories of seasonal change, of rain, of spiritual connection to Country.
"The story was always there," she said.
It took a year to do it right. Originally, she sought to work with a Noongar artist to ensure the illustrations honoured the culture as fully as the words. But when MultiLit initiated talks with Queensland-based Bundjalung and South Sea Islander illustrator Kimberly Engwicht, the book naturally found its momentum and rhythm.
Her advice to anyone thinking about writing a local language book is to listen first, learn the history. Connect with Elders. Commission a local artist and name them.
Giving credit matters, in both truth-telling and storytelling.
The Ngoolarks Need a Hollow is available through MultiLit later this year.
The HIPPY First Nations language toolkit , designed to support culturally grounded practice, is available through the LMS.
Central Queensland Indigenous Development (CQID), HIPPY Hervey Bay celebrated National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day by joining dozens of local partners at the inaugural Welcome to Baby Festival. Held at the Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens, hundreds of families came together for a day of community and culture, opening with a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country from Butchulla Native Title Aboriginal Corporation.
CQID's Connected Beginnings and HIPPY Hervey Bay contributed hands-on activities for children and families, including air-dry clay keepsakes of babies' handprints, and sensory play using coloured pasta representing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
We look forward to sharing more details and photos in the next edition.
Congratulations to HIPPY Mowanjum Derby, delivered by the Ngunga Group Women's Aboriginal Corporation, on a fantastic local media moment on Larrkadi Radio in the Kimberley.
HIPPY featured on 97.9 6DBY FM’s Muddy Waters program, reaching an audience of around 8,750 people. The segment highlighted how HIPPY supports children’s learning through play and encouraged local families to express interest for 2027.
A wonderful example of using local media to connect HIPPY with community.
Listen to the segment 97.9 6DBY FM | Muddy Waters | Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:19:15 +0800
Days of Recognition
As we look ahead to September, the following dates offer meaningful opportunities for Gatherings themes, discussions, and community connection.
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for posts to like, share, and tag. Please share your site stories, highlights, Gatherings, and photos with us (Query type: Other, Subject: Newsletter Content).
This year's theme, Country Is Our Teacher, sets the tone for the 19th Indigenous Literacy Day, a national celebration of First Nations stories, cultures and languages, presented by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) in partnership with the Sydney Opera House.
The ILF's work runs year-round: getting books into remote communities where literacy resources can be hard to come by, supporting First Nations communities to publish their own stories, and mentoring young people and adults in writing, illustrating and digital literacy.
On the day, a free 15-minute film and livestream takes viewers into the Central Desert to meet Niningka and Chris, two children from Mparntwe (Alice Springs) and Nyirripi in the Northern Territory. They share their communities' connection to Country, language and culture: Warlpiri words and stories from Nyirripi, and Arrernte from Elders and children in Mparntwe.
Suitable for all ages, register to watch live or on demand: ilf.org.au/ild
Parents and carers play a huge role in a child's early development. Reading together, playing, and simply being present all build the same skills HIPPY focuses on, strengthening learning through parents as the first educators.
Many sites talk about dads and father figures increasingly attending Gatherings where possible. Father's Day is another opportunity to recognise the dads, grandads, uncles and father equivalent figures in children's lives.
Run by NAPCAN for over 30 years, the week encourages everyday conversations about child safety to translate into real, practical steps: noticing, listening, and knowing what to do if something doesn't feel right.
2026 theme, Every Conversation Matters: Shifting Conversation to Action, is a good reminder that keeping children safe is everyone's responsibility.
For HIPPY, it's also a moment to reflect on the trust families place in Tutors and Coordinators each week, and the role that trust plays in keeping children safe and supported.
2025 webinar series recordings are available for viewing .
2026 Online webinar series starts on 2 September; registrations are open .
Now in its 60th year, International Literacy Day is a UNESCO day, marking the importance of literacy worldwide.
This year's theme, Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity, looks at literacy's role not just in individual opportunity but in building more inclusive, sustainable communities.
HIPPY storybooks help families read together and connect. It is a small, weekly act that, when seen from a global impact perspective, forms a timely reminder of the quiet, compounding value of a book shared at home.
This year's message is Ask R U OK? Any Day
It's a reminder that a meaningful conversation doesn't need to wait for one day on the calendar. If someone you know seems to be doing it tough, this is a good prompt to ask and really listen.
You don't need to be an expert to start the conversation ; just genuine curiosity and the willingness to sit with the answer.
Celebrated across East and Southeast Asian communities, this festival centres on family reunion, mooncakes and moon-gazing, and is a lovely one to explore with families through storytelling and shared food.
Falling on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, when the moon is at its fullest, it carries themes of togetherness and gratitude.
Togetherness sits alongside HIPPY's own focus on family connection and shared learning.
