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2016 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

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November 17 2017 Dear Reader On behalf of the Board and staff of Mothers Matter Centre proud home of HIPPY Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters and Aboriginal HIPPY in Canada thank you for your support While transitioning from HIPPY Canada to our new identity as the Mothers Matter Centre we have built partnerships to help us expand and strengthen our services to Canada s most vulnerable Aboriginal newcomer refugee and other isolated women and their children Our reach now spans most of Canada from Prince Edward Island to British Columbia with a total of 28 sites operating our HIPPY Aboriginal HIPPY or Bond to Literacy programs And we have some innovations coming shortly to both streamline and enhance our services to refugee families We have benefited from corporate and personal support from generous donors like you and we are proud to say that with your help we have moved from serving 985 to almost 1 200 families By supporting women who are both teaching their children to be ready for school and building their families lives in Canada we are supporting marginalized isolated women to blossom into full participants in Canadian society Whether we ve met you as a guest at one of our fundraiser celebrations or as an online supporter your contribution to Mothers Matter Centre really matters and we are grateful The enclosed report offers more detail on HIPPY s activities over the last year a time of growth adjustment leadership and innovation Updates are always available on our beautiful new web site mothersmattercentre ca so please visit frequently Our Donate button is also there and we look forward to your next donation to support our work on behalf of Canada s most vulnerable In the meantime wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season and a healthy happy and prosperous New Year Sincerely Stephen Lindley Chair Mothers Matter Centre Proud Home of HIPPY in Canada 3

WE TRANSITIONED The Mothers Matter Centre the Proud Home of the HIPPY Program in Canada T hroughout 2016 17 we prepared for the transition from HIPPY Canada to the Mothers Matter Centre which we officially launched in Ottawa on May 16 2017 The Mothers Matter Centre is a virtual national consortium of organizations dedicated to serving socially isolated and low economic status mothers and their families using our proven mother to mother approach We will continue to grow and sustain our flagship Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters HIPPY program and develop other program innovations such as housing assistance job skills training literacy and language training healthcare and more The Mothers Matter Centre is located in Vancouver BC and has ten staff members Mothers Matter Centre Approach We recognize that mothers are the catalyst for change within both their families and communities Motivated by a desire to secure the best possible future for their children with the right kind of support mothers can overcome obstacles Deborah Bell CEO President

Mothers helping other mothers not only strengthens mother child relationships it fosters more confidence for moms to become involved in their child s school and their larger communities Maureen Boyd immediate past Chair Mothers Matter Centre

6 Sophie HIPPY Mother Calgary

WE GREW More sites more families more programs HIPPY showed me how to play with my son how to read with him Now my son was prepared to go to school He knows the books the stories the colours everything Boushra Janoudi Home Visitor Ottawa M osaic Newcomer Family Resource Centre opened a new multicultural site in Winnipeg suitability of the HIPPY program for the Gitxsan Community and the Kelowna Tribal Council funded by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada Treaty 7 Management Corp now Kanai Board of Education located south of Calgary piloted a new site with one coordinator and three part time Home Visitors Eleven multicultural HIPPY sites as well as the Mothers Matter Centre secured approximately 7 5 million with threeyear funding April 2017 to March 2020 from Immigration Refugee Citizenship and Canada IRCC to deliver the HIPPY program With the support of Grace Church onthe Hill and SNC Lavalin a new site was opened at Native Child and Family Services of Toronto to serve 15 families in Scarborough The HIPPY mothers involved in our 2017 Annual Adopt a Reader program offered by First Book Canada and TD Bank adopted a record number of non HIPPY mothers and supported them to read to their children Together they spent 300 000 minutes of reading aloud to their children over a period of three weeks Thanks to the resourcefulness of many HIPPY host organizations all HIPPY sites remained steady and some including Red Deer and Oakville received additional financial support from various sources to increase the number of Home Visitors and families they serve Through a generous anonymous donation we revitalized our Bond to Literacy program to include six communities in British Columbia It is a 12 week early literacy program adapted from the HIPPY program Aboriginal HIPPY Canada supported two land based communities to carryout community engagement strategies that would enable them to explore the HIPPY for Young mothers site 2017 graduation day in Toronto 7

WE CHANGED We modified we added we consulted I get to spend more time with them and bond with them They learn so much and you get to be the one teaching them You can feel proud of yourself because you teach them and help them become better and reach their goals Sunirtie Ramprasad HIPPY Mother Toronto T he arrival of Syrian refugees provided HIPPY sites with an opportunity to stretch their capacity and use their imaginations to meet the acute and complex needs of more than 170 refugee families Many Coordinators and Home Visitors created on the fly modifications to the program delivery in order to provide empathetic and useful support all while remaining committed to preparing mothers to support their children s success in school These efforts were funded by IRCC and Foundations We researched and designed a modified curriculum that will offer Indigenous children parents and communities a curriculum relevant to their needs which increases their sense of belonging in their families communities and cultures These curriculum changes were funded by British Columbia Association of Friendship Centres and were rolled out in September 2017 The HIPPY Summer Program was designed and delivered in two locations to engage isolated newcomer families in fun and creative summer group learning activities to help parents prepare their children to enter the Canadian school system Reviving Hope and Home Celebrating the Resilience of Refugee Families was held in March 2017 in Vancouver to inform our supporters of the struggle of refugees and to celebrate their significant contributions to Canadian society Working Women Centre of Toronto combined Bond to Literacy and other orientation and skills training programs for a unique approach to working with newly arrived refugees This work was funded by a private donor Aboriginal HIPPY Canada carried out an inter agency consultation with six organizations in the East Side of Vancouver to discuss a more integrated Aboriginal HIPPY delivery approach HIPPY for Young mothers site 2017 graduation day in Toronto 8

9 Maysaa 2017 Honoured Mother at the Because Mothers Matter Awards event in May and her family

MULTICULTURAL HIPPY in CANADA Director Wazi Kapenda T he Multicultural HIPPY program in Canada has served more than 10 000 families over the last 16 years Starting with one site in Vancouver BC there are now 17 sites in six provinces The program is offered across Canada mostly by immigrant refugee serving organizations 10

HIPPY mother with her children at HIPPY for Young mothers site 2017 graduation day in Toronto HIPPY mother reading to her children Fatiha immigrated to Canada from Morocco in 2015 with her husband and two daughters She wanted to have a good future for her children Upon coming to Canada Fatiha faced many challenges due to language and cultural barriers Fatiha heard about HIPPY through the Mosaic program and got involved because she thought it would be helpful for her kids HIPPY has made a big difference in my life I have experience as a mom but when I came to Canada I feel like it s my first time to be a mom In a new country new culture new language it was very hard for me But with HIPPY it s helped me a lot because it made a big difference in my life they gave me the tools I needed 11

Key Achievement and success in school Mothers Matter Centre negotiated and signed a three year IRCC contribution agreement for 2 4 Million which will include the ongoing delivery of the HIPPY program at ISS of BC and the addition of a new site at the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia ISANS in Halifax along with the resources to support the overall national coordination of newcomer HIPPY sites in Canada Impact Outcomes More than 20 new communities in Canada contacted in 2016 2017 now understand the value of the HIPPY program and the fit for their community needs Four organizations in Montreal share a common understanding of the role and potential of the HIPPY program to improve the quality of parent child interaction in the homes of low income and low literacy families Five HIPPY program sites demonstrated higher program fidelity increased staff capacity to deliver the program and improved relationships between national office staff sites and their community stakeholders Through IRCC funding ISS of BC Vanier Community Services Centre and ISANS developed the capacity for 160 parents to support their children s sense of belonging The HIPPY Program is current with emerging issues relevant to the needs of family participants and maintains consistently high quality delivery standards 2017 Graduation day at HIPPY Oakville site Arabic speaking refugee mothers can now more easily use understand and share the HIPPY curriculum with their children to ensure their readiness for the Canadian school system 12

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ABORIGINAL HIPPY i n CANADA Director Stan Parenteau T he Aboriginal HIPPY program serves land based and urban Aboriginal families across the country particularly those impacted by the legacy of residential schools poverty parents limited education and social isolation 14

Key Achievement Aboriginal HIPPY was successful in an application to the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres BCAAFC through the Urban Partnership Innovation Application 84 525 Every aspect of the AH program has been revised to weave Aboriginal languages knowledge traditions and practices into the curriculum in an effort to reveal a rich and important history and recognize and encourage a strong and proud cultural identity Acknowledging the uniqueness of Canada s many Aboriginal groups AH created a flexible framework that allows easy integration of local knowledge language and traditions The curriculum was completed in March and rolled out nationally in September 2017 15

Impact Outcomes Aboriginal HIPPY curriculum now reflects the diversity of urban and land based Aboriginal communities Through New Paths funding Saskatoon Tribal Council and Tsleil Waututh Nation continue to develop the capacity of 75 parents to support their children s sense of belonging cultural identity and success in school 16

More than ten new communities in Canada contacted in 2016 2017 now understand the value of the HIPPY program and have identified it as a positive fit to address their community needs Four Aboriginal and non Aboriginal neighbourhoods in East Vancouver share a common understanding of the value of collaborative and integrated HIPPY program delivery Aboriginal HIPPY Home Visitors increased their capacity to deliver an effective and culturally sensitive HIPPY program to families in their communities Graduations 2015 Vancouver Urban Aboriginal HIPPY site HIPPY program sites who received a monitoring visit demonstrated higher program fidelity increased staff capacity to deliver the program and improved relationships between national office staff sites and their community stakeholders We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors We borrow from our children Native American Proverb Angel urban Aboriginal mother in Vancouver with her son 17

BOND to LITERACY Coordinator Janice Bexson B ond to Literacy adapted HIPPY s model and curriculum to create a 12 week early literacy program offered over two years in six communities across BC Two objectives with BTL include reaching a wide community of families to increase parent and child engagement and enhancing the employability skills of the Community Facilitators The project was 100 funded by an anonymous donor for the first year followed by 50 matching funds for the second year Four of the six community partner agencies are on target with their budgets and have raised the majority of their funding for Year Two which demonstrates their commitment to delivering the program in the future 18

Key Achievement The Community Facilitators have been flexible in their delivery of the program so that it remains meaningful to the families they are working with e g role playing using large cue cards for ESL families asking childcare staff to read the program books during circle time having parents co facilitate an enrichment activity for other parents such as demonstrating a craft or a specific talent etc Impact Outcomes Parent feedback has been positive parents have expressed enjoyment of the program that they are learning how to prepare their children for school and that their children are learning literacy skills Evaluation data also indicate that parents have strengthened their relationships with their children through interacting and using the practical activities within their homes and that they feel more connected to other parents and the community Many parents also conveyed their appreciation for the way the Community Facilitators support them A mother and her child enjoying circle time Bond to Literacy Program May 2017 The Community Facilitators self assessment reports indicate they are more knowledgeable about the program curriculum their group facilitation skills have increased and they feel more comfortable delivering the program Since participating in the online coaching sessions most Community Facilitators demonstrate increased confidence with public speaking and an increased ability to use video conferencing and other computer software 19

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Training Education Director Darlene Gage I remember when I was a newcomer and I needed all these questions to be answered but I didn t have all the sources right HIPPY Home Visitor O ver each program year the Mothers Matter Centre offers ongoing training opportunities for all HIPPY sites on the core professional development training topics These training sessions both online and in person are primarily offered to HIPPY Coordinators using a train the trainer approach The Coordinators then deliver the same training to their teams of Home Visitors Key Achievement We continue to build on a mixed method Home Visitors professional education program with close communication for the HIPPY sites to ensure the training is relevant and useful We are encouraged by the resulting increased engagement of Coordinators and Home Visitors 20

Training at HIPPY Red Deer site Impact Outcomes All HIPPY sites are now better equipped to respond to the emerging educational needs of Home Visitors through responsive training materials All HIPPY sites are better able to deliver a consistent and impactful Pre Service Training to new Home Visitors and others at any time during the year using online resources Home Visitors are increasing their capacity to serve families and to transition out of HIPPY and into their next career 21

22 Pre service training for new Coordinators in Vancouver September 2017

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Director Susanne Nahm M others Matter Centre is a high performance organization committed to a comprehensive performance management process PMP that holds itself accountable to its stakeholders funders and most important to the families it serves We have moved beyond counting outputs We are all about change about social impact about ensuring the lives of the families with whom we work are in fact better than before we started working together This tool gives Coordinators real time data they need to adjust programming strategies to better serve their clients Most important the performance management approach helps Mothers Matter Centre measure and understand the process of change Key Achievement appropriate service adjustments when needed even up to three to four times during the program year using the Parent Progress Report After many years of exploring different childhood outcome measures we piloted the Bracken Basic Concept Scale at CIWA HIPPY site in Red Deer It is a standardized tool that evaluates a child s acquisition of basic concepts which is strongly related to cognitive and language development as well as to early childhood academic achievement Currently Susanne is working with Dr Lucy LeMare Professor Faculty of Education Director Centre for Research on Early Child and Health Education CRECHE at Simon Fraser University to evaluate the Bracken child assessment data captured by HIPPY Red Deer We are still waiting for the final analysis but have plans to expand its uses in the 2017 2018 program year As a result of the PMP HIPPY families receive improved services and the support they need to ensure they have the skills to teach their child and to build bridges to social networks and organizations that facilitate full and active inclusion and engagement in the Canadian society Mothers Matter Centre is now able to confidently report on efforts and outcomes achieved by HIPPY sites across the country Impact Outcomes HIPPY Site Coordinators and Home Visitors understand the importance and rationale for the HIPPY PMP as well as their own roles and responsibilities e g which types of data to enter and when in the process HIPPY Coordinators and Home Visitors have the skills to review ETO reports for the families they work with so they can make HIPPY Home Visitors 23

ADOPT a READER CAMPAIGN 2017 Presented by HIPPY Canada and First Book Canada With financial support from TD Bank R ecognizing Family Literacy Day HIPPY Canada launched the Adopt a Reader campaign on January 27 2017 in partnership with First Book Canada and supported by TD Bank Group As a result more than 4 400 books are now in the hands of low income children across Canada and more than 1 300 families made the commitment to read with their children every day for three weeks And what amazing results Participating parents shared 332 101 minutes of reading aloud to their children more than doubling our results from last year This year we had 14 HIPPY sites from across Canada take part in the campaign including HIPPY Toronto five sites HIPPY Ottawa HIPPY Oakville HIPPY Winnipeg HIPPY Brooks HIPPY Calgary HIPPY Red Deer Aboriginal HIPPY Tsleil Waututh HIPPY Nanaimo Aboriginal HIPPY Nanaimo I m so glad that I was chosen by my neighbor Danica Fajardo to be her partner in Adopt a Reader campaign my 3 years old son like the books even if he doesn t know how to read yet but he is reading through animal picture it s our bonding time reading and it is my way to avoid gadgets or watching TV to my little boy it s a very good example to the family Non HIPPY Mom Marivic Ronquillo 24

Media Attention HIPPY Canada held a media event in Calgary AB on February 17 2017 to showcase the success of the Adopt a Reader program Parents participating in the Adopt a Reader program were in attendance as were HIPPY Home Visitors and Coordinators from Calgary and Red Deer Global News Calgary and CBC News had reporters and cameramen on site to interview participants and learn more about the campaign Adopt a Reader program encourages reading among members of the family It is a good way for parents to bond with their children as well as a good learning habit for kids HIPPY Mom Jennifer Juanito Reading of books to my daughters is one of my favorite role as a daddy my 17 months old baby is enjoying a lot those books from Adopt a Reader Campaign It is our bonding moments and bedtime story too Considered as one of the greatest gifts that I can give Non HIPPY Dad Joel Jimenez 25

EVENTS Rana Jaleel refugee HIPPY mother telling her story at the Reviving Hope and Home event and Home Visitor Shahla Sultan March 2017 From left Tracy Joseph 2017 Honoured mother with her daughter Sophie Gregoire Trudeau 2017 Honoured mother Maysaa Haj Ali 2017 Honoured mother with her kids former French Ambassador to Canada Nicolas Chapuis with his spouse Her Excellency Sharon Johnston and Maureen Boyd Former GG couple David and Sharon Johnston hosting the fundraising event at their new home in Ashton with guests and host Maureen Boyd October 2017 26

Reviving Hope and Home March 2017 Vancouver Reviving Hope and Home An event to celebrate the resilience of refugee families took place March 2nd in the beautiful Joseph and Rosalie Segal Centre at Simon Fraser University Harbour Centre The evening was a means to rebuild families and create new communities together with the more than 40 000 refugees who have arrived in Canada over the last 12 months About 100 attendees celebrated the resilience and the spirit that sustained our new neighbours on their journeys to safety to new homes in which their children can live healthy prosperous and fulfilling lives The event raised 50 000 Because Mothers Matter Award May 2017 Ottawa On Tuesday May 16 2017 HIPPY Canada presented this year s Because Mothers Matter Awards and formally announced the launch of the Mothers Matter Centre The 2017 recipients included Madame Sophie Gr goire Trudeau as well as two HIPPY Mothers Mayssa Haj Ali a refugee mother from HIPPY Ottawa and Tracy Joseph an Aboriginal HIPPY mother from Vancouver The French Ambassador graciously provided his iconic embassy residence for this celebration The event raised over 50 000 Celebrate Hope and Home October 2017 Ashton The Celebrate Hope and Home with Sharon and David Johnston event took place on Saturday October 14th at their Take A Hike Farm in Ashton ON to support Hope and Home for Canada s refugees and newcomers Sharon Johnston is Honourary Patron of the Mothers Matter Centre Proud Home of the HIPPY Program in Canada and the raised funds will benefit the Mothers Matter Centre and the HIPPY program in support of refugee and newcomer settlement The event raised over 20 000 27

AT HOME I n CANADA THE REFUGEE EXPERIENCE A Research Project on the Implementation of the HIPPY Program in Newly Arrived Refugee Communities August 23 2017 H IPPY Canada Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters carried out an internal research project in the winter of 2017 Twelve HIPPY Home Visitors from various sites across the country worked with 188 refugees who had arrived in in 20162017 We were curious about the responses of refugees to the HIPPY program and HIPPY Home Visitors and we wanted to determine whether the HIPPY program was a suitable early intervention strategy We asked if the program commitment was too much for people dealing with the difficult circumstances they had just left and the complexities of arriving as a refugee in a new country Refugee women are among the most vulnerable populations in the world Forced displacement disrupts generations of mutual family and community support Over 50 of the refugee families that participated in the HIPPY program last year arrived from refugee camps and some of those children were born in camps Education as well English and French language levels were on the whole much lower than other newcomer groups in the HIPPY program encourage refugee mothers to participate fully in Canadian civic life and ensure that they are positioned to support their children to reach their fullest potential in their new home country HIPPY Home Visitors are among the first responders They meet refugee families at their most vulnerable shortly after arrival They describe mothers in the early stages of settlement as overwhelmed paralyzed by the number of decisions to be made and systems to navigate It is clear that peer Home Visitors occupy a privileged position they are invited into a relationship of trust with refugee mothers and their children and into their modest homes by a group of women who have not known security or stability for a long time With this comes a responsibility to honour our commitment to these mothers We cannot take the position of HIPPY as usual As the Home Visitors in the recent program have done we must continue to do more In far too many cases newcomer and specifically refugee mothers remain at risk in Canada Cultural norms and the mothers responsibility for the family and the house limit many mothers engagement in the community As Canadians we bear a responsibility to ensure their safety and potential for a better and more fulfilling life Canada has the resources and the services to 28

I am from the same culture when they talk about their trauma and their circumstances they talk to somebody that can understand It is not about the language it is about the experience they went through I think this is the reason that they stay in the program because I am giving them support and listening to their challenges and difficulties HIPPY Home Visitor 29

Children crafting at the HIPPY Oakville site 30

FINANCIALS Mothers Matter Centre formerly HIPPY Canada Statement of Financial Position Audited Year Ended March 31 2017 Assets Current Cash Accounts receivable Inventory Prepaid expenses Mothers Matter Centre formerly HIPPY Canada Statement of Revenues and Expenditures Audited Year Ended March 31 2017 2017 2016 352 042 118 011 15 513 34 040 87 530 96 123 15 605 10 585 519 606 209 843 Equipment 2 438 522 044 209 843 Liabilities and net assets Current Bank indebtedness Accounts payable and accrued liabilities Deferred income Program Delivery Revenue Immigration Refugees Citizenship Canada Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres Bond to Literacy East Vancouver Community Engagement 2016 Revised 883 664 879 607 379 821 376 142 84 525 26 475 19 560 1 394 045 20 000 91 000 217 492 71 816 233 513 32 490 471 005 195 306 Net Assets General Fund 42 975 6 209 Carol and Ron Slater Scholarship Fund 8 064 8 328 Net Assets 2017 51 039 14 537 522 044 209 843 Program Delivery Expenses Immigration Refugees Citizenship Canada Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres Bond to Literacy East Vancouver Community Engagement 788 985 785 364 345 292 341 947 83 025 26 475 13 821 1 257 598 The summary consolidated financial statements are derived from the complete set of financial statements of the society and they meet the recognition and measurement principles of Canadian accounting standards for not for profit organizations We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters Canada which comprise the statement of financial position as at March 31 2017 and the statements of operations and changes in net assets and cash flows for the year then ended and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information Financial audit performed by Buckley Dodds Parker LLP Chartered Professional Accountants 1 255 749 1 127 311 Net Administration Fees and Program Delivery 136 447 128 438 Revenue Donation revenue Site licence fees Curriculum revenue 110 842 123 141 82 842 86 813 35 593 28 973 229 277 238 927 Total Revenue 365 724 367 365 Expenses Salaries and wages Office Rental Professional fees Travel Accounting fees Bank charges Insurance Interest expense Amortization 139 970 67 034 44 039 25 647 22 453 14 288 6 078 4 712 4 571 430 123 195 83 862 40 699 31 070 34 660 53 373 3 644 4 252 5 402 329 222 380 157 Excess of revenue deficit over expenses 31 36 502 12 792

HIPPY mother with her daughter at HIPPY for Young mothers site graduation day in Toronto Mothers Matter Centre gratefully acknowledges our funders and donors for their generous support HIPPY program funding Family supporters multi year donations Tim and Sheila Casgrain Barbara and Barry Dong Carol and Ron Slater HIPPYCanada and MothersMatterC 508 1190 Melville Street Vancouver BC V6E 3W1 Telephone 604 676 8250 mothersmattercentre ca HIPPYCanada and MothersMatterCentre mothersmattercentre Mothers Matter Centre