Guide ยท NDIS
Thriving Kids and the NDIS changes: what parents need to know
From 1 October 2026, Thriving Kids starts supporting children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs, outside the NDIS. This is what is known so far, what isn't, and what it means if your child is already in the NDIS.
Updated 25 September 2026 · About 6 minutes to read · All guides
In short
- Thriving Kids is a new government program for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs, and their families.
- Your child doesn't need a diagnosis. The first state-run services start from 1 October 2026, and the program is due to be fully rolled out by 1 January 2028.
- It offers information and advice, parenting programs and, where needed, targeted help from professionals such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists and psychologists.
- From 1 January 2028, children in that group will be supported by Thriving Kids instead of the NDIS. Children with high support needs or permanent and significant disability stay eligible for the NDIS.
- Many details are still being worked out, including exactly how families get in and who pays for which supports.
What Thriving Kids is
Thriving Kids is a new national program for young children with developmental delay or autism, and their families. It is the first of what governments call foundational supports: disability supports provided outside the NDIS.
According to the government's fact sheet, the Australian, state and territory governments have agreed to put up to $4 billion into it over 5 years. States and territories deliver most of the services: general parenting support, local information and advice, help finding the right services, and targeted allied health support. The Australian Government runs the national parts, such as phone and online advice, building the workforce, and evaluation.
It sits alongside wider NDIS changes passed in August 2026, which are explained in how the NDIS works.
Who it's for
Thriving Kids is for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs, and their families, carers and kin.
- No diagnosis needed. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing says children will not need a diagnosis to get support through Thriving Kids.
- Support needs, not labels. What decides the fit is how much support a child needs. The government's advisory group recommended looking at a child's support needs through a functional assessment rather than a diagnosis. Its report doesn't set out a checklist for what counts as low to moderate.
- Higher support needs stay with the NDIS. Children with permanent and significant disability, and children with developmental delay or autism who have substantially reduced functional capacity (high support needs), remain eligible for the NDIS.
What support it offers
The government's fact sheet describes three kinds of support:
| Type | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Information, advice and navigation | Easy-to-find information on child development, and help connecting children and families with the right supports |
| Parenting supports and programs | Online courses, short videos, resources to use at home, supported playgroups, peer support groups and family programs |
| Targeted supports | Help from trained workers such as occupational therapists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists, audiologists and psychologists, plus low-cost equipment where needed |
Supports are meant to be delivered where children live, learn and play, including at home and in the community. The government says each child's needs and circumstances will guide which supports suit them and their family.
How families will get support
This is the least settled part. The February 2026 fact sheet said details about specific services and how to access them would be released closer to the start.
What has been said so far:
- Some supports, like information websites, won't need you to do anything special, according to Raising Children Network.
- Others will come through places families already go, such as GPs, early childhood services and schools.
- The advisory group suggested entry points including online and phone services, GPs and child and family health nurses, and proposed a new health and development check for 3-year-olds.
- Governments are still working out who pays for which supports.
Because each state and territory delivers its own services, what is available, and when, will vary. Check your state or territory government's Thriving Kids information as services start.
What it means for children already in the NDIS
There are no changes to how children get into the NDIS until 1 January 2028. From that date, according to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing:
- children aged 8 and under who apply for the NDIS will be assessed against new criteria
- those with developmental delay and/or autism and low to moderate support needs will no longer be eligible for the NDIS, and will be supported by Thriving Kids
- children with high support needs, or permanent and significant disability, remain eligible.
For children already in the NDIS, the fact sheet says those aged 8 and under who enrolled before 1 January 2028 with developmental delay and/or autism and low to moderate support needs will continue to be reassessed under the eligibility rules in place before that date. The NDIA also says existing participants will be reassessed progressively over 3 years from January 2028. How those fit together for a particular child isn't clear yet, so it is worth waiting for the NDIA to contact you rather than acting on a guess.
In the meantime, the NDIA says participants can keep using their plans and supports as usual. Some other changes apply to participants of all ages, such as smaller budgets for social and community participation from October 2026. How the NDIS works covers those.
What you can do now
- If you are worried about your child's development, you don't need to wait for Thriving Kids. Your GP, child and family health nurse or paediatrician is the place to start, and support can begin before any diagnosis. Our guide to signs of autism in children covers what parents tend to notice.
- If your child is younger than 9, an NDIS early childhood partner can help now, even if your child isn't eligible for the NDIS.
- If your child is already in the NDIS, keep using the plan. The NDIA says it will contact families about changes that affect them.
- Keep reports and assessments together, especially anything describing how your child manages day to day. Both Thriving Kids and the NDIS are moving towards decisions based on support needs.
Much of this is still being settled, and state services will start at different times.
Questions people ask
What is the Thriving Kids program?
Thriving Kids is a new government program for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs, and their families. It offers information, parenting programs and targeted help from professionals like speech pathologists and occupational therapists, outside the NDIS. States and territories deliver most of the services.
When does Thriving Kids start?
The first state-run services start from 1 October 2026. Supports will grow over time, and the program is due to be fully rolled out by 1 January 2028, when NDIS access changes for young children begin.
Does my child need a diagnosis for Thriving Kids?
No. The government says children will not need a diagnosis to get support through Thriving Kids. What matters is how much support the child needs.
Will my child lose their NDIS plan?
Not before 1 January 2028. From then, children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs won't be eligible for the NDIS and will be supported by Thriving Kids, while children with high support needs remain eligible. Children already in the NDIS will be reassessed, and the NDIA says it will contact families about changes.
Is Thriving Kids free?
That isn't settled yet. Raising Children Network reports that the Australian, state and territory governments are still working out who will pay for the various supports.
What are the NDIS changes for children?
New laws passed in August 2026. From 1 January 2028, children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs will be supported by Thriving Kids instead of the NDIS, and eligibility will be decided with a new standardised assessment of functional capacity. Children with high support needs stay eligible.
Wondering whether an assessment makes sense? The free screener takes about three minutes, for your child, your adult son or daughter, or yourself. It suggests which assessment fits, and it will tell you if one does not look like the right next step. Start the free screener.
Where this information comes from
We would rather you checked us than took our word for it. Every link below is the original source, not a summary of one.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. About Thriving Kids.Who Thriving Kids is for, that no diagnosis is needed, and the rollout from October 2026 to 1 January 2028.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Thriving Kids.Funding, state and territory delivery, the supports families can access, and which children stay eligible for the NDIS.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (3 February 2026). Fact sheet: Foundational Supports and Thriving Kids.The three types of Thriving Kids support, funding, rollout dates and the position of children already in the NDIS.
- NDIS (5 February 2026). Thriving Kids.The NDIA's announcement of Thriving Kids and confirmation that children with high support needs remain eligible for the NDIS.
- Thriving Kids Advisory Group. Final report.Recommended that access not require a diagnosis, using a functional assessment of support needs, with entry points including GPs, child and family nurses and online services.
- Raising Children Network (2026). Thriving Kids support: your questions answered.Australian government-funded parenting site on what is known so far about access, supports and cost.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (2026). About the changes to the NDIS.Government summary of the changes, including the October 2026 budget reset and the 2028 access changes for young children.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (2026). Securing the NDIS for future generations: timeline.Dated timeline of the reforms from 2026 to 2030, including Thriving Kids and the January 2028 access changes.
- NDIS (2026). Securing the NDIS for future generations.The NDIA's summary of the August 2026 law changes, including reassessment of existing participants over 3 years from 2028.
- NDIS (19 August 2026). New NDIS laws pass.The NDIA's announcement that eligibility changes won't occur until 1 January 2028 and participants can keep using their plans as usual.
- NDIS. Guide to the early childhood approach.How early childhood partners support children younger than 9, including children who aren't eligible for the NDIS.
Links to external sites are provided for reference. We do not control them and they may change. Last checked 25 September 2026.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you are worried about yourself or your child, talk to your GP.
Not sure where to start?
For your child, your adult son or daughter, or yourself. The free screener takes about three minutes and tells you which assessment fits — or whether you need one at all.