What is Thriving Kids?
A national system of supports for children with developmental differences — designed to give every Australian child the best start in life.
Program Overview
Thriving Kids is a joint initiative of the Australian Government and state and territory governments, representing the first phase of Foundational Supports for children. The program is designed to provide earlier identification and intervention for children aged 8 and under who show signs of developmental delay or autism with low to moderate support needs.
Rather than requiring children to access the NDIS, Thriving Kids will deliver supports through everyday community settings — schools, early childhood education centres, health services, and allied health providers — where children and families already spend their time.
Governments have committed to jointly contributing $4 billion over five years to implement the program, with services commencing no later than 1 October 2026 and expected to be at scale from 1 January 2028.
Program Timeline
Policy Design & Legislation
Australian Government and states negotiate design, funding agreements, and enabling legislation for Thriving Kids.
Services Commence
State and territory services begin rolling out. Families can start accessing navigation, parenting, and allied health supports.
NDIS Access Changes
Changes to NDIS access for children 8 and under with low-to-moderate needs take effect. High support needs children remain NDIS eligible.
Program at Full Scale
Thriving Kids fully operational nationally, delivering early intervention to thousands of Australian children.
What Thriving Kids Includes
The program delivers supports across two tiers, jointly funded by the Australian Government and states.
- General parenting support programs
- Local information, advice and navigation
- Targeted allied health supports
- Community-based early intervention
- National awareness and information campaigns
- Online and phone advice services
- Workforce development initiatives
- Program evaluation and research
Official Government Resources
For full policy details, visit the Australian Government's official pages.
Have Questions?
Our team at Kevria is here to help families and providers understand and access the Thriving Kids program.
Contact Us