Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) cautions against rushing the Australian Government’s Thriving Kids program, announced earlier today.
While the initiative’s aim to provide much-needed support for children with developmental delay and autism is welcome, its proposed rollout timetable risks leaving thousands of families stranded without essential services.
According to NDIS Minister Mark Butler, Thriving Kids will launch in July 2026, with access changes to the NDIS set to follow in mid-2027.
But advocates say this limited window is far too short and could see children continue to be removed from the Scheme before new supports are ready.
“Thriving Kids has huge potential, but the government can’t seriously expect to set up a fully-functional system to replace NDIS supports in under a year,” said CYDA CEO Skye Kakoschke-Moore.
“To truly honour the principle of ‘nothing about us, without us’, the governments needs to provide adequate time for genuine co-design and community consultation, especially when changes are this significant.
“The real families impacted by this announcement deserve to be heard, to see transparent decision-making, and to have certainty they won’t be left without support while the system is being cobbled together.
“It’s also critical that any services delivered through Thriving Kids supports families to learn disability affirming approaches as their children grow and develop.”
Thriving Kids is intended specifically for children aged zero to nine with ‘mild to moderate’ developmental delay or autism, though it remains unclear how a child’s level of functioning will be assessed in the early years.
A blanket assessment based on age or diagnosis is not an evidence-informed way to determine a child’s suitability for the NDIS.
Further, the focus on ages nine and under raises questions about what will happen for older children, particularly when it is unclear how NDIS access changes will apply to them and when broad Foundational Supports will be available.
On a positive note, CYDA welcomes the inclusion of new Medicare allied health items like occupational therapy, speech pathology, psychosocial therapy – as well as the government’s continued willingness to work with the disability community on reform.
We call for:
- A longer rollout timetable for Thriving Kids to allow for adequate consultation, co-design and a trial period to test and evaluate the initiative
- A pause on NDIS eligibility reassessments and a guarantee that children will not be removed from the Scheme until alternative supports under Thriving Kids are fully in place
- A clear path of supports for children and young people with disability over nine
About us:
Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) is a not-for-profit community organisation. It is the peak organisation representing the rights and interests of children and young people with disability (aged 0-25) in Australia.
Contact details:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0458 020 197 (Sonia Regan) or 0426 815 627 (David Kavanagh)