Thriving Kids: What Families Need to Know About Australia’s New Early Childhood Supports System
Australia is preparing to roll out a new national approach to early childhood developmental supports called Thriving Kids.
If you are a parent, carer, educator, or professional supporting neurodivergent children, you may already be hearing about it — and wondering:
What is Thriving Kids?
Does this replace the NDIS?
What will change for families?
When will it start?
What do we still not know?
This article breaks it down in plain language so families and professionals can make informed decisions moving forward.
What is Thriving Kids?
Thriving Kids is being designed as a national system of supports (outside the NDIS) for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs, plus their families/carers/kin.
It sits under the broader reform package called “Foundational Supports”—a new set of supports intended to reduce the “NDIS-or-nothing” situation many families experience when they’re trying to get timely help.
Importantly: children with permanent and significant disability and children under 8 with high support needs / substantially reduced functional capacity are expected to remain eligible for the NDIS (subject to usual arrangements).
Why it’s happening (the core problem it’s trying to solve)
Across Australia, families commonly report:
long waits for allied health and early supports
fragmented pathways (health vs education vs disability)
pressure to pursue diagnoses just to unlock services
inequity for rural/remote, First Nations, and CALD families
Thriving Kids is framed as the “earlier, easier front door” to:
identify developmental support needs earlier, and
connect families to evidence-based supports sooner.
How Thriving Kids is expected to work (the model, in plain language)
1) Universal Parenting Supports (for many families, often first line)
These are designed to be easy to access and can be used with or without targeted supports.
They include:
practical, evidence-based resources families can use at home
peer supports / parent groups / supported playgroups
parent education (online courses, videos, culturally safe training, etc.)
A key principle is reducing reliance on diagnosis for access (supports should be based on needs and function).
2) Targeted Supports (for children/families who need “more than universal”)
The Advisory Group describes Targeted Supports as lower-intensity / periodic early childhood supports, delivered by disciplines such as OT, speech pathology, physio, audiology, psychology (and potentially others depending on local design).
Core features recommended include:
child- and family-centred, matched to developmental needs and family goals
time-limited supports with review points
diagnosis not required, but a “light-touch” needs assessment to match supports
capacity building, including a designated professional/key worker for coordination and transitions (e.g., preschool/school) especially for multi-disciplinary needs
Access pathways proposed include:
via GP / child & family health nurse, and/or
via Thriving Kids providers (including referral from universal supports when more help is needed).
3) “Care plan/roadmap” (not an NDIS plan)
The Advisory Group suggests a development care plan/roadmap could help families understand:
what supports they’re linked to and why
intended goals/outcomes
progress review and planned follow-up after supports end
…and emphasises it is not an NDIS plan and does not have a budget attached.
4) Low-cost assistive technology (AT) earlier (to reduce escalation to NDIS)
The report explicitly discusses access to simple, affordable AT (typically under $1,000) such as:
printable communication boards, visual schedules, social stories
sensory regulation tools (weighted lap pads, calm-down aids)
daily living aids (adaptive cutlery, dressing supports)
5) Deliver supports where children live, learn and play
The model strongly favours supports being delivered:
at home (so strategies embed in real routines)
in ECEC/schools (where appropriate)
in community child/family hubs, including hub-and-spoke options for rural/remote
6) Strengthen/expand child & family hubs nationally
The report notes Australia already has hundreds of hubs(?) with inconsistent funding and suggests building a clearer national “what good looks like” approach, with potential commissioning via structures like PHNs where gaps exist.
7) Possible new Medicare (MBS) pathway: “Child Development Plans”
The Advisory Group discusses creating new MBS items so GPs can assess, develop a plan, review, and refer children—similar in concept to chronic disease management but focused on children’s development (details would need an implementation liaison group).
8) Evidence, scaling, and evaluation are non-negotiables
A very clear message: Thriving Kids must deliver trustworthy, evidence-based supports, invest in evaluation (especially for diverse cohorts), and avoid lots of tiny pilots with weak evidence.
Who funds and delivers it?
Funding: Governments have committed to up to $4 billion over 5 years, with the Australian Government contributing $2 billion and states/territories matching; at least $1.4 billion of the Commonwealth contribution is intended to flow directly to states to deliver Thriving Kids services.
Delivery split:
States/territories: parenting supports, local information/advice/navigation, and targeted allied health supports
Commonwealth: national enablers such as information/awareness, online/phone advice (including wayfinding), workforce initiatives, and evaluation
Timelines: what to expect (and why you’ll see two “start dates”)
What the main Thriving Kids webpage says
rollout expected in phases
first services originally communicated as expected from 1 July 2026, ramping up over 12 months
intended to be in place ahead of broader NDIS access changes flagged from mid-2027
What the official Fact Sheet & Q&A say (published 3 Feb 2026)
bilateral agreements expected finalised February 2026
first state services available from 1 October 2026
“at scale/full rollout” by 1 January 2028
NDIS access arrangement changes apply from 1 January 2028 (limited to under-8s with developmental delay/autism + low/moderate needs)
Why the difference?
Based on the government materials, a reasonable interpretation is:
July 2026 = earliest expected availability of some initial services in some places (phase 1)
October 2026 = states committed to having state services rolling out no later than then (a more concrete “guaranteed by” date)
Public reporting from primary-care stakeholders also notes the start was delayed to 1 Oct 2026 to give jurisdictions time to implement.
What it means for families moving forward
If your child is currently on the NDIS (under 8)
The Q&A states children enrolled before 1 Jan 2028 with developmental delay/autism + low/moderate support needs will be reassessed under the eligibility criteria that existed before 1 Jan 2028.
Children with high support needs / permanent and significant disability are expected to remain eligible (usual NDIS arrangements).
Practical implication: between now and 2028, the big stress point for families is likely to be how reassessment will work? and what supports look like during transitions (see “unanswered questions” below).
If your child is not on the NDIS (or you’re unsure you want/need it)
Thriving Kids is intended to:
provide clearer entry points and navigation
reduce “diagnosis as the ticket to support” pressure
provide earlier access to targeted allied health and low-cost AT where needed
What will likely change “on the ground” as it rolls out
You can expect (as details firm up in each state/territory):
new/localised pathways for referral (GP/CFHN/provider pathways)
increased emphasis on shorter, goal-based blocks with review points
more supports embedded in homes, ECEC and schools, not just clinics
more structured navigation/wayfinding via national phone/online components
commissioning/contracting changes for providers (rather than purely fee-for-service) signalled strongly in the parliamentary inquiry recommendations
What the Thriving Kids Advisory Group report recommends (key themes)
The Advisory Group report is not a simple numbered “Recommendation 1–20” list in the way parliamentary reports are; instead it sets out a national model and strong recommendations across design principles and components, including:
Evidence-based supports + evaluation (including for diverse cohorts)
A two-tier structure: Universal Parenting Supports + Targeted Supports used concurrently when needed
Diagnosis not required for access; use needs/functional matching with light-touch assessment
A coordinating/key-worker function for multi-disciplinary complexity and transitions
Low-cost AT earlier to reduce unnecessary NDIS escalation
Strong role for child and family hubs, including improving hub quality and coverage
Home-based delivery as an essential mechanism for generalisation and sustainability
Consideration of an additional MBS “Child Development Plan” pathway
What will happen next (the decision/implementation pathway)
From the official materials, the next steps include:
Finalising bilateral agreements between the Commonwealth and each state/territory (expected Feb 2026 per fact sheet).
Continued co-design and community engagement as implementation planning continues.
Legislative change: reforms require amendments to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth) to implement the access changes.
Phased rollout of services (Oct 2026 onwards, scaling to Jan 2028).
Building key enablers: national wayfinding, workforce initiatives, program evaluation.
Parliamentary inquiry recommendations add pressure for:
an ongoing advisory body/council
provider registration that is streamlined but safe
commissioned service model
data governance and interoperability
a review after 24 months of operation
Additional “unanswered questions” families and providers are still waiting on
These are the big practical unknowns that will determine whether Thriving Kids feels safe and workable:
Eligibility, matching, and reassessment
How will “low to moderate support needs” be defined operationally? (What tools? What thresholds? Who decides?)
What will reassessment look like for children on the NDIS pre-2028, and what safeguards prevent sudden loss of supports?
If a child’s needs increase quickly, how fast can they move from Thriving Kids to NDIS (and what evidence will be accepted)?
Access and wait times
What are the service guarantees (if any) for time-to-first-appointment?
If there are waitlists, what bridging supports are funded and who provides them? (The Advisory Group notes the need for practical resources during waiting periods, but the operational detail isn’t set yet.)
Provider model (this will affect real access)
Which providers will deliver targeted supports:
commissioned hubs only?
a mix of commissioned + community providers?
will there be choice, or allocation?
What will provider requirements be (registration/quality), and how will duplication be avoided?
Interface with education, ECEC, and mainstream supports
What will change in ECEC/schools practically (funding, responsibilities, training)?
How will school-based supports interact with disability loadings and the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) transparency issues raised by the parliamentary inquiry?
Rural/remote equity (particularly in our WA/NT regions)
How will hub-and-spoke teams be funded and staffed so rural/remote kids don’t end up with “information but no services”?
Data, privacy, and complaints
What data will be collected, who holds it, and how will it be shared across health/education/disability while maintaining privacy?
What is the complaints pathway for Thriving Kids services (especially if they are commissioned through multiple systems)?
How will Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles be embedded in practice?
Funding clarity for families
Will families ever have individualised budgets under Thriving Kids, or will it be entirely service allocation/commissioning?
How will “low-cost AT” be accessed (prescription? provider sign-off? capped lists?), and will it be rapid?
Our perspective at The Inclusive Movement
We welcome reforms that:
✔ Reduce diagnosis pressure
✔ Support earlier access
✔ Value family capacity building
✔ Focus on participation and wellbeing
At the same time, families deserve:
✔ Clear information
✔ Transparent eligibility processes
✔ Genuine choice
✔ Equitable access in regional areas
✔ Safeguards during transition
We will continue to monitor updates and advocate for neuroaffirming, inclusive implementation.
Want support navigating changes?
We know these reforms can feel overwhelming.
The Inclusive Movement can support families with:
understanding developmental needs
navigating systems
advocacy and planning
neuroaffirming education and training
Please feel free to reach out to our team or explore our resources to stay informed.
