Thriving Kids: What the New Reforms Mean for Families

caretakershk
Dec 2
2 min read

Thriving Kids is a new “foundational supports” program, designed for children aged 8 and under with mild to moderate developmental delay or autism. Thriving Kids, is being developed to make sure children aged eight and under get help earlier and easily, according to the Australian Government.

Why Thriving Kids?

The Independent Review of the NDIS highlighted something families and professionals have known for years:

Developmental concerns aren’t always picked up early enough.
When they are identified, families often struggle to access support in a timely way.

Early intervention can make a huge difference, and the system needs to make that easier—not harder.

Thriving Kids aims to fill this gap as a national network of mainstream and community-based supports to help children with low to moderate developmental support needs.

Children with significant and permanent disabilities will still receive support through the NDIS.

Building on What Already Works

Instead of creating a whole new system from scratch, Thriving Kids will scale up the services families already use, such as:

Child and maternal health services
GPs and community health centres
Early childhood education and care
Schools
Digital and phone-based information and support services

These everyday touchpoints will become better equipped to identify developmental differences early and guide families towards the right supports.

Expert Guidance and Co-Design

The Government has appointed a Thriving Kids Advisory Group, co-chaired by Professor Frank Oberklaid, to help shape how the program works. Their advice will draw on:

The NDIS Review
National consultations on foundational supports
Findings from the House Standing Committee inquiry
Feedback from families, communities and sector stakeholders

The focus is on building a national system that truly supports child development—not just patching gaps.

When Will Thriving Kids Start?

The rollout will happen in stages as specified by the Australian Government:

Throughout 2025: Final design work with states and territories
1 July 2026: First services expected to be available
Mid–2026 to mid–2027: Gradual ramp-up of services nationwide

This staged introduction means families should start seeing new supports before changes to NDIS access arrangements take effect.

How Thriving Kids Connects to the NDIS

Thriving Kids will support children who might be better supported through early intervention in mainstream and community settings.

Importantly according to the Goverment:

Children already in the NDIS will continue to receive support, with the usual reassessment processes in place.
Any future changes to NDIS access for children will be carefully designed, with attention to families’ experiences and transition needs.