Thriving Kids for school-aged children

Thriving Kids: What it is, who it applies to and what it means for families

The Thriving Kids initiative is a new national approach to supporting children aged 8 years and under with developmental delay and or autism. It forms part of broader reforms known as Foundational Supports, agreed by the Australian Government and all state and territory governments.

You can read the official Department of Health overview of Thriving Kids for full policy detail. Watch our conversation with the Minister for the NDIS explaining Thriving Kids here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TujeYiqzSs

We know families want clear answers. This page explains what Thriving Kids is, who it applies to, how it connects to the NDIS, and what is confirmed so far.

What is Thriving Kids?

Thriving Kids is the first stage of the new Foundational Supports system.

It is designed to:

• Identify developmental differences earlier
  
  
• Connect children to supports sooner
  
  
• Deliver services in the environments where children live, learn and play
  
  

Supports are expected to include:

• Information, advice and navigation
  
  
• Parenting supports and programs
  
  
• Targeted allied health supports
  
  

Targeted supports may include developmental therapies delivered by occupational therapists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists, audiologists and psychologists. Low cost assistive technology, aids or equipment may also be included where needed.

Thriving Kids is not an individual funding package with a personal budget. Families will not receive funding to manage directly. Instead, children are connected with supports based on their developmental needs.

Further detail is available in the official Thriving Kids Fact Sheet published by the Department of Health.

Who does Thriving Kids apply to?

Thriving Kids is being developed for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and or autism who have low to moderate support needs.

This includes many children often described as having mild to moderate autism, where support is needed to build skills and independence but there is not substantially reduced functional capacity across all areas of daily life.

From 1 January 2028, Thriving Kids is intended to become the primary support pathway for this group.

What if my child has high, complex or profound support needs?

Children with permanent and significant disability will remain eligible for the NDIS under usual arrangements.

Children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and or autism who have substantially reduced functional capacity, described as high support needs, will also remain eligible for the NDIS.

Thriving Kids does not replace the NDIS for children with substantial and enduring support needs.

If your child has high, complex or profound support needs, the NDIS remains the appropriate system of support.

What happens if my child is already on the NDIS?

Changes to NDIS access arrangements for children are agreed in principle to apply from 1 January 2028.

These changes are limited to children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and or autism with low to moderate support needs.

If your child is already enrolled in the NDIS before 1 January 2028 and is aged 8 or under with low to moderate support needs, they will continue to be subject to reassessment under the eligibility criteria that were in place before that date.

Children with permanent and significant disability will continue to be eligible for the NDIS under usual arrangements.

The Thriving Kids Model

The Thriving Kids Advisory Group Final Report outlines the recommended national model for how services should operate under Thriving Kids.

The model explains how children and families move through the system, how supports are matched to level of need, and how Thriving Kids connects with mainstream services and the NDIS.

Pathways Into Thriving Kids

Children may enter Thriving Kids through early identification of developmental delay or neurodevelopmental differences.

Identification may occur through:

• Primary health care
  
  
• Early childhood education and care
  
  
• Schools
  
  
• Community services
  
  
• Other mainstream systems
  
  

The focus is on identifying developmental needs early and connecting families to appropriate supports in a timely way.

Universal Parenting Supports and Information

The model includes “Universal Parenting Supports and Information”.

These are broadly available supports designed to:

• Improve awareness of developmental delay
  
  
• Provide clear information about child development
  
  
• Help families build knowledge and skills
  
  
• Strengthen relationships
  
  
• Support connection with peer networks
  
  

Universal supports are intended to be widely accessible and are not dependent on having a formal diagnosis.

Best Practice Targeted Supports

For children who require more support than universal programs alone, the model includes “Best Practice Targeted Supports”.

These supports are:

• Focused on development and functional skills
  
  
• Matched to the child’s level of need
  
  
• Delivered by trained professionals
  
  

Targeted supports may include services provided by occupational therapists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists, audiologists and psychologists.

They may also include support during key transition points, such as starting school, and access to low cost assistive technology where required.

Thriving Kids is not designed as an individual funding package. Families are connected to appropriate services rather than managing an allocated budget.

The service principles are intended to align with the National Best Practice Framework for Early Childhood Intervention.

How much funding has been committed?

The National Cabinet has agreed to jointly contribute up to 4 billion dollars over five years to implement supports for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and or autism with low to moderate support needs.

The Australian Government is contributing 2 billion dollars, including 1.4 billion dollars provided to states and territories to support delivery.

States and territories will deliver parenting supports, local information, advice and navigation, and targeted allied health supports.

When will Thriving Kids start?

Bilateral agreements between the Australian Government and each state and territory are expected to be finalised in February/March 2026.

The first state services are expected to be available from 1 October 2026.

Services will be progressively scaled, with full rollout expected by 1 January 2028.

The House of Representatives Inquiry into the Thriving Kids initiative provides further background on the development of this reform.

Our meeting with Minister McAllister

Autism Awareness Australia recently met with Minister McAllister to discuss Thriving Kids and what it means for families.

You can watch our discussion below.

Useful links and reports

• Department of Health – Thriving Kids Overview
  
  
• Thriving Kids Fact Sheet
  
  
• Thriving Kids Advisory Group Final Report
  
  
• House of Representatives Inquiry into the Thriving Kids initiative
  
  
• National Best Practice Framework for Early Childhood Intervention
  
  
• Independent Review into the NDIS

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This page was updated by Corey Googh on 3 March 2026