About Thriving Kids
We have announced a commitment to contribute $2 billion over 5 years towards Thriving Kids, commencing from 1 July 2026.
Thriving Kids will focus on identifying developmental concerns earlier and establishing a national system of supports for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and disability and low to moderate support needs and their families. Children with permanent and significant disability will continue to be supported through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The final program design will be settled between the Australian Government and state and territory governments. It will be informed by experts and the significant community input received through the Independent Review of the NDIS, the Thriving Kids Advisory Group co-chaired by Professor Frank Oberklaid and engagement with the community, including through the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability Inquiry into the Thriving Kids initiative.
Timeline
We will continue to prioritise work with state and territory governments to finalise the design of Thriving Kids program this year.
It is expected the Thriving Kids program would rollout in phases. The first services are expected to be available from 1 July 2026 and would continue to ramp up over 12 months.
This will ensure national services are in place ahead of broader changes to NDIS access arrangements from mid-2027.
Inquiry into Thriving Kids
On 2 September 2025, Minister for Health and Ageing and Minister for Disability and the NDIS referred an inquiry into the Thriving Kids initiative to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability.
The committee accepted written submissions addressing the terms of reference and conducted a survey to gather community feedback on the experiences of families and carers in accessing support services for children with additional needs. The findings from the inquiry will help develop Thriving Kids.
Learn more about the committee's inquiry.
Advisory group
We have appointed an expert group to provide advice in the coming months on how we can best support children and families across Australia.
Learn about the Thriving Kids Advisory Group.
Resources
Thriving Kids – Fact sheet
Thriving Kids – Questions and answers
Contact
