This week, the federal government released its model for its Thriving Kids program.
Announced in August 2025, the Thriving Kids program is an alternative to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for some children. Under these changes, children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs will be moved from the NDIS to Thriving Kids.
What is the Thriving Kids model?
Under Thriving Kids, there will be a range of different supports available, including existing and new services. These supports will help:
- Improve awareness of developmental delays
- Better identify developmental delays
- Parents and families build their skills, connect with others and find quality information and advice
- Connect children and families to ‘targeted supports’, focused on development and based on level of need
The Thriving kids model is designed to adapt to changing needs, allowing families to enter or re-enter at any point. This model allows for access to supports without a formal diagnosis.
Identifying Developmental Delays and Connecting Families to Support
Timely access to quality information about child development, developmental delay and neurodevelopmental difference is essential to supporting children and their families and connecting them to services they need sooner.
Delays or support needs may be identified by many different people:
- Parents, carers, and kin may identify concerns
- Early childhood education and care (ECEC) and schools may discuss concerns with parents
- General health services (GPS, child and family health nurses and paediatricians) can undertake a health/development check
There are multiple entry pathways, closely linked to state-based intake points:
- Self-directed/soft entry points – Online and digital points
- Active entry points – Commissioned providers and relevant private providers with relevant professionals (allied health, GP, child and family nurse, early childhood practitioner etc.)
- Enablers – National Digital Child Health Record; resources, training and support to up-skill those working with children
Best-Practice Universal Parenting Supports
Families are the experts in a child’s life. These supports are aimed at empowering parent-led approaches and shifting developmental trajectory for low support need families.
Supports include:
- Online parenting courses for development and neurodiversity
- Locally organised peer group activities
- Peer support
- Online information for available services.
Thriving Kids will fund additional supports to increase availability and access to developmental delay and disability-specific assistance.
Best-Practice Targeted Supports
Targeted supports will be accessible to families and children who need more than only Universal Parenting Supports. These targeted supports involve allied health and more individualized capacity building, with the aim of shifting developmental trajectory.
Supports would be delivered by allied health professionals and early childhood workers, and would include speech, occupational and physical therapies, as well as low-cost assistive technology.
Services would be matched to the development needs of the child and support needs of the family, with consideration of their goals and priorities. Families with lower support needs would access one form of intervention, alongside the universal parenting supports. Moderate support need families may require multiple forms of intervention.
How will the NDIS change?
Children with significant and permanent disability will remain eligible for the NDIS, including children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with substantially reduced functional capacity (high support needs).
Children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs enrolled in the NDIS before 2028 will remain on the NDIS, subject to usual reassessment criteria.
How will Thriving Kids be implemented and funded?
This model is a national approach. The Australian government will provide an initial $2 billion, which states and territories are expected to match. Under Thriving Kids, states and territories will deliver general parenting supports, local information, advice and navigation, and targeted allied health supports. The federal government will be responsible for national measures that enable the program to operate effectively.
What is the timeline for Thriving Kids?
Thriving Kids will rollout no later than 1 October 2026 and is expected to be fully implemented from 1 January 2028. Changes to NDIS access arrangements for children will apply from 1 January 2028.
How will services at Patches change?
At Patches, we remain committed to delivering exceptional therapy services across the life course. Changes to the NDIS and the introduction of Thriving Kids mean there is still some uncertainty about how funding arrangements will take shape. However, our dedication to the children and families we support has not changed and we are here to support you every step of the way.
Click here to contact our friendly team about our services today.
For more information about Therapy at Patches, click here.