The Australian Government has reached a significant milestone towards delivering better outcomes for Australian children with additional developmental needs, releasing the Thriving Kids Advisory Group’s report.
It recommends Thriving Kids will better support children aged under 9 with developmental delay and/or autism, with low to moderate support needs, through a more appropriate model of national model of supports, outside the NDIS.
Thriving Kids combines delivery of existing and new services in settings, where children and families, live, learn and play, with a focus on enabling better awareness and earlier identification of developmental delays.
The advisory group recommends that Thriving Kids will be the best way to help parents and families build their own skills and networks and better connect with targeted services that support Australian children.
Governments have agreed to invest $4 billion to deliver Thriving Kids. The Commonwealth is providing $2 billion, with $2 billion matched by states and territories. $1.4 billion of the Commonwealth’s contribution will go directly to support states and territories.
Key principles of the advisory group’s proposed national model include:
- identifying children with developmental delay as early as possible
- connecting children and families with supports, matched to their level of need, to best support their child’s early development
- offering supports that are child and family centred, informed by evidence and focused on outcomes
- supports are delivered in everyday settings, where they live, learn and play
- supports are empowering, connected to service systems families already trust and are easy to navigate
- acknowledging that children’s needs are not linear and can change over time.
National Cabinet has agreed to the final design of Thriving Kids, which considered the advice alongside other inputs, including from the recently concluded House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability inquiry into Thriving Kids.
The Commonwealth has listened to stakeholders including parents, health professionals, disability advocates, educators and states.
To ensure states and territories have enough time to implement Thriving Kids the roll out will now commence on 1 October 2026, with full implementation by 1 January 2028.
Children with permanent and significant disability – including those with developmental delay and/or autism with high support needs – will continue to be eligible for the NDIS.
Children aged under 9 enrolled in the NDIS prior to 1 January 2028 with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs will be subject to the usual reassessment criteria in place prior to 1 January 2028.
The advisory group was co-chaired with Professor Frank Oberklaid AM. Members included experts from across paediatrics, child development, research, disability, child and family services, health care, and early education and schools and First Nations perspective, and state and territory government representatives. Members also consulted through their networks and the national model proposed by the advisory group was tested with groups of families with lived experience.
Further details are available about Thriving Kids on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
“I want to thank Professor Frank Oberklaid AM – my co-chair on the advisory group – all of the members, and the many, many people and organisations who have helped to shape a national model for Thriving Kids.”
“The advice of the Thriving Kids Advisory Group reinforces the opportunity we have as a nation to deliver better outcomes for children.
“Thriving Kids will empower and support families early in a child’s developmental journey with tailored supports in community settings.
“The NDIS remains a critical pathway to access support for adults and children with permanent and significant disability.
Quotes attributable to Professor Oberklaid AM:
“The process for developing the Thriving Kids model has been very comprehensive.
“The advisory group comprised of members with deep expertise in research and rich clinical experience of working with children and families
“The advisory group has reviewed the evidence for what constitutes best practice, broadly consulted on strategy with professionals across the whole range of disciplines, as well as families with lived experience.
“The report has been informed by the large number of submissions and presentations to the House Standing Committee on Health, chaired by two paediatricians – Dr. Mike Freelander and Dr. Monique Ryan.
“I am confident that the Thriving Kids model provides a sound framework for how best to support children and their families to achieve the best possible opportunities for children to thrive."