As published in Venice Gondolier, September 4, 2026:
NOKOMIS — The Wilson-Wood Foundation recently awarded a grant of $15,000 to Safe Children Coalition for its HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) program.
The grant will help area families with young children to prepare their children for success in school and beyond.
This is the eighth year that the Wilson-Wood Foundation has provided support — totaling $120,000 — for the HIPPY program.
The HIPPY program helps parents to provide educational enrichment for preschool-age children and is designed to remove barriers to participation in education. The program is offered to all participants free of charge so that disadvantaged children can enjoy future success.
“The goals of HIPPY are consistent with the mission of the Wilson-Wood Foundation, which aims to do good deeds in health, education, and human services,” a press release stated.
In fiscal year 2026, HIPPY served 134 children with economic, social and educational challenges in Sarasota County. Every HIPPY family is TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) eligible and faces overwhelming poverty.
Childhood poverty is associated with higher rates of academic failure, grade retention, and school dropout rates, as well as teen parenthood, smoking, and illicit drug use.
Children growing up in poverty are also more likely to have employment-based difficulties as adults.
In the most recent monitoring of the HIPPY program, 100% of HIPPY children, ages 3-5, improved their Ages and Stages Questionnaire Scores, and all of the children transitioning to kindergarten passed the school readiness assessment.
In the previous year, HIPPY participants read nearly 40,000 books.
“Since 1992, HIPPY has proven how important reading is in building vocabulary, fostering listening skills, and developing the attention span needed to be prepared for school, while encouraging participation from local parents who might otherwise not feel empowered or equipped to get involved in a meaningful way with their children’s education,” said SCC President and CEO Brena Slater.
The Wilson-Wood Foundation, which is based in Nokomis, provides funding annually for numerous organizations serving children, families and social services. In 2025, the foundation granted $450,000 to 29 nonprofit organizations serving Sarasota and Manatee counties.
