After a period of considerable anticipation and debate, the Australian federal government has finally detailed its proposed alternative to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for certain children under the age of nine. This new initiative, named “Thriving Kids,” represents a significant shift in how disability support is accessed and delivered across the nation, aiming to foster a more holistic and family-centric approach.
NDIS Minister Mark Butler has unveiled the operational model for Thriving Kids, signalling a generational reset in disability support pathways. The overarching goal, according to Minister Butler, is to empower parents to better support their children’s development. This approach partly harks back to pre-NDIS support systems, focusing on early intervention and community-based solutions.
The Thriving Kids initiative, which was unexpectedly announced last August, is designed to guide children under nine years old who exhibit “mild to moderate” developmental delays and autism spectrum disorder away from the NDIS. The intention is to provide more targeted and accessible support for these specific needs, allowing the NDIS to focus on individuals with more significant and permanent disabilities.
The Thriving Kids Model: A Three-Stage Approach
The Thriving Kids model has been meticulously crafted with the input of an advisory group, chaired by esteemed paediatrician Frank Oberklaid, and has received endorsement from national cabinet. The model is structured around three core stages:
Stage 1: Identification
The crucial first step in the Thriving Kids model is early and accurate identification of developmental delays or support needs. This can be initiated by various stakeholders, including:
- Family members
- School educators
- Health professionals
This stage emphasizes a collaborative effort to ensure that potential challenges are recognised as early as possible.
Stage 2: Connection to Support
Once identified, the focus shifts to seamlessly connecting families with the most appropriate support services. This stage establishes key “entry points” into the Thriving Kids system, which will include:
- Online Directories: Comprehensive resources to help families navigate and locate suitable supports and allied health professionals aligned with the Thriving Kids framework.
- Professional Development: Availability of resources designed to upskill educators and medical practitioners who work with young children, ensuring they are well-equipped to identify and support developmental needs.
Stage 3: Provision of Support
The final stage involves the delivery of actual support services, which are categorised into four distinct levels of need:
- “Low Need” Families: For families requiring minimal intervention, support will be geared towards “empowering parent-led approaches.” This may include:
- Online parenting courses specifically focused on child development and neurodiversity.
- Locally organised group activities fostering peer support and community connection.
- A potential national phone line offering expert parenting advice.
- “Moderate Need” Families and Children: These families will gain access to more targeted support from allied health professionals and early childhood workers. Services can be delivered in various settings, including:
- Community hubs
- Home environments
- Educational settings
- These services may encompass speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy.
- “Low to Moderate Need” Families: This category is designed to bridge the gap, offering access to a blend of supports from both the “low need” and “moderate need” categories, providing flexibility and tailored assistance.
NDIS Eligibility and Transition
It is important to clarify that children with “significant permanent disability,” including those with developmental delays or autism, will continue to be eligible for the NDIS. Furthermore, children already participating in the NDIS before 2028 will remain on the scheme, provided they continue to meet the usual reassessment criteria.
Empowering Parents: A Core Philosophy
Minister Butler underscored the critical importance of equipping parents with the tools and knowledge to support their children. “It’s not rocket science,” he stated. “It’s been quite well understood that the best thing you can do for a child who is not hitting developmental milestones is to provide parents with support to support their own children.” This sentiment highlights a fundamental shift towards strengthening the family unit as the primary support network.
However, Minister Butler also acknowledged that many parents will still require supplementary assistance from trained professionals. “That is very much contemplated by the program and will be able to be delivered through it, and [we] want to make sure that that’s as easy to access as possible as well,” he assured.
Funding and Implementation Timeline
The federal government has committed an initial $2 billion to the Thriving Kids initiative. This will be complemented by a further $2 billion in matched funding from the states and territories. Minister Butler indicated that the majority of the Commonwealth’s funding will be channelled through the states, with the federal government not directly funding service delivery.
The program is slated to commence its first phase in October of this year, with a full rollout expected to be completed by January 2028.
Expert Perspectives on Thriving Kids
Dr. Frank Oberklaid, chair of the advisory group, expressed his belief that the current NDIS system, heavily reliant on diagnoses, is “broken” and “did not work for kids.” He elaborated that paediatricians were increasingly frustrated by how the system distorted clinical practice. “We wanted an approach that got away from looking at what’s wrong with a child and what do we need to treat, towards acknowledging individual differences, acknowledging that many, many children just need a bit of support over six or 12 months in order to thrive, and their parents need support.”
Nicole Rogerson, CEO of the Autism Association of Australia, welcomed the release of the Thriving Kids model and its “encouraging policy settings.” However, she also raised pertinent questions about the practical implementation on the ground. “This is an enormous piece of national reform, and the risks identified in the report are real. Workforce capacity will make or break Thriving Kids,” she cautioned. Ms. Rogerson stressed the need for particular focus on the early childhood education and care sector and schools.
Context: Reining in NDIS Growth
The Thriving Kids initiative is a cornerstone of the government’s broader strategy to manage the growth of the NDIS. The scheme currently supports over 750,000 participants, with approximately a quarter of them being under eight years old, incurring an annual cost of $50 billion. Upon its election in 2022, the NDIS was experiencing an annual growth rate of 22 per cent. Current figures show this growth has slowed to 10.1 per cent, with the government aiming to further reduce it to between 5 and 6 per cent, bringing it closer to the growth rates observed in aged care and Medicare.
