About Thriving Kids

Helping families find the right support, sooner.

Thriving Kids is an independent platform connecting Australian families with vetted early childhood support providers — and helping them navigate the Government's Thriving Kids program when it applies.

What we do

Two sides of the same problem

Australian families wait too long to get the right early support. Quality providers struggle to reach the families who need them. We sit in the middle and make the introduction.

How it works

One enquiry, matched to the right support

Families tell us what they need once. We match them to vetted providers in their area. Providers receive those matched families directly — no cold outreach, no directories to trawl.

For families

  1. 1

    Tell us about your child

    Submit one short enquiry — the support you're after, your location, and a few details. It's free.

  2. 2

    See your matches

    We show you vetted providers in your area who offer the support your child needs.

  3. 3

    You choose who to connect with

    Pick the providers you'd like to hear from — they'll reach out to you. No cost to families, ever.

For providers

  1. 1

    List your business

    Register, choose a plan, and your profile goes live straight away — no approval queue.

  2. 2

    Referrals when families choose you

    When a matched family picks you, their enquiry and contact details come straight to you.

  3. 3

    Manage in your dashboard

    Track referrals, see enquiry details, and update your listing anytime.

For providers

What your subscription includes

Listing on Thriving Kids is a simple flat subscription — no commissions, no per-referral fees, no cap on referrals. Here's what you get.

  • Your profile shown to matched families actively looking for your services in your area
  • Unlimited matched referrals sent straight to you — with the family's contact details
  • We take no cut — nil commission or fee for connecting you with families
  • A provider dashboard to track referrals and update your listing anytime
  • Free, ongoing Thriving Kids program updates — federal and state
  • No lock-in — cancel anytime

One of the things we help with

The Government's Thriving Kids program

A national system of early supports for children with developmental differences, jointly funded by the Commonwealth and states. Here's the headline detail — useful context whether you're a family checking eligibility or a provider considering listing.

$4B
Government Investment
5 Years
Program Duration
8 & Under
Children Supported
Oct 2026
Services Commence
Program Overview

Earlier support, where families already are

Thriving Kids is a joint initiative of the Australian Government and state and territory governments, representing the first phase of Foundational Supports for children. It's 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.

Roll-out Timeline

How it's being rolled out

1
2024–2025

Policy Design & Legislation

Australian Government and states negotiate design, funding agreements, and enabling legislation for Thriving Kids.

2
October 2026

Services Commence

State and territory services begin rolling out. Families can start accessing navigation, parenting, and allied health supports.

3
January 2028

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.

4
2028 & Beyond

Program at Full Scale

Thriving Kids fully operational nationally, delivering early intervention to thousands of Australian children.

Two-tier Funding

What Thriving Kids Includes

The program delivers supports across two tiers, jointly funded by the Australian Government and states.

State & Territory
  • General parenting support programs
  • Local information, advice and navigation
  • Targeted allied health supports
  • Community-based early intervention
Australian Government
  • 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?

We're here to help families and providers understand and access the Thriving Kids program.

Contact Us