Understanding the Thriving Kids program
What is Thriving Kids?
Thriving Kids is an Australian Government initiative for children aged 8 years and under who need extra help with their development. It focuses on children aged 8 years and under who have developmental delay or autism with low to moderate support needs and their families.
Thriving Kids:
- helps families identify concerns early in their child’s development
- connects families with supports to help their child’s development.
Thriving Kids works alongside the NDIS and existing mainstream and community supports like child and family health services and playgroups.
How is Thriving Kids different from the NDIS?
Thriving Kids is separate and different from the NDIS. It’s an additional service that children can access from October 2026.
Thriving Kids focuses on children aged 8 years and under who have developmental delay or autism with low to moderate support needs.
The NDIS provides support and funding to eligible children with developmental delay or disability and adults with disability. Children aged 8 years and under who have developmental delay or autism with low to moderate support needs will continue to be eligible for support from the NDIS until 1 January 2028.
What is the reason for Thriving Kids?
The Australian Government says that Thriving Kids is part of a bigger plan to offer more support outside the NDIS.
Thriving Kids helps children get supports earlier and more easily – for example, without needing to get a diagnosis or apply to the NDIS.
When does Thriving Kids start?
Thriving Kids has started. General supports, including information, advice and parenting supports, became available to families from 1 October 2026.
The Australian Government expects supports like allied health services to become available during 2027.
All supports will be rolled out by 1 January 2028.
Why is Thriving Kids appropriate for autistic children?
Thriving Kids is designed to support children based on their developmental needs. This includes autistic children.
Evidence shows that early, individualised support – like the support offered through Thriving Kids – can help autistic children and children with other developmental needs develop well. It can help these children reach their full potential in areas like communication, social skills, daily living, and mental health and wellbeing.
Until now, it has been challenging for many families to access this kind of early, individualised support. Thriving Kids aims to change that by making support available earlier and more easily.
Thriving Kids is a new program, so some details are still being worked on. For more information, visit Australian Government, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – Thriving Kids.
Eligibility for Thriving Kids vs eligibility for NDIS
Is your child eligible for Thriving Kids?
The Australian Government says that your child is eligible for support from Thriving Kids if your child is aged 8 years and under and has developmental delay or autism with low to moderate support needs.
Is your child eligible for the NDIS?
For now, all children aged 8 years and under can continue to apply to the NDIS.
There are no changes to NDIS eligibility until 1 January 2028. After 1 January 2028, children aged 8 years and under with developmental delay or autism with low to moderate support needs will be supported through Thriving Kids and mainstream services instead of the NDIS.
Children with significant and permanent disability, including those with developmental delay or autism with high support needs, will continue to be eligible for the NDIS, subject to the usual criteria.
Thriving Kids supports
What supports can your child and family get through Thriving Kids?
The Australian Government says that Thriving Kids will offer a range of supports to children and families. These supports include:
- information and advice about child development, developmental delay and autism
- help to identify developmental needs early
- help to find the right supports for children
- programs to support children’s development
- targeted supports like allied health services for children and families who need them.
The supports that are right for your child and family will depend on your child’s needs and your family’s circumstances.
For more information, go to Thriving Kids – Supports we’re planning.
When can your child get Thriving Kids supports?
Thriving Kids is being rolled out gradually from 1 October 2026 until 1 January 2028.
From 1 October 2026, you and your child can access the following national supports:
- the Thriving Kids Information and Resources Hub, which has information and resources about child development, developmental delay and developmental differences
- a national phoneline, which offers expert advice from child and family health nurses about child development and behaviour – call 1800 882 436 or video call, 7 days, 7 am-midnight (AET)
- the Thriving Kids Autism Helpline, which offers information and advice about autism for families with children aged 0-8 years – call 1300 654 789, Monday-Friday, 8 am-7 pm (Australia wide).
For information about when you can access state-based supports, go to Thriving Kids – State and territory governments.
Why are the supports in Thriving Kids called foundational supports?
Foundational supports are supports that are designed to give children the best start in life by helping them and their families build skills and knowledge in the early years.
Thriving Kids is the first phase of the Foundational Supports initiative, which gives people access to supports outside the NDIS. Australian, state and territory governments are working together on Foundational Supports.
Who pays for the supports in Thriving Kids?
The Australian Government is funding Thriving Kids together with state and territory governments.
Getting Thriving Kids support
How do you apply for Thriving Kids support for your child?
You don’t need to apply for Thriving Kids support.
You can access some Thriving Kids supports by yourself. These supports include the:
- Thriving Kids Information and Resources Hub, which has information about early child development, developmental delay and autism
- national phoneline, which offers expert advice from child and family health nurses about child development and behaviour – call 1800 882 436 or video call, 7 days, 7 am-midnight (AET)
- Thriving Kids Autism Helpline, which offers information and advice about autism for families with children aged 0-8 years – call 1300 654 789, Monday-Friday, 8 am-7 pm (Australia wide).
Other supports will be provided through community settings like GPs, early childhood services and schools.
Does your child need a diagnosis to get Thriving Kids support?
Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get Thriving Kids support.
The Australian Government says that all children aged 8 years and under with developmental delay or autism with low to moderate support needs can get support through Thriving Kids.
What if your child is moving from the NDIS to Thriving Kids?
If your child is aged 8 years and under, has developmental delay or autism with low to moderate support needs, and is in the NDIS, they’ll be assessed before 1 January 2028 and moved to Thriving Kids if appropriate.
For more information, go to Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – About the changes to the NDIS.
Thriving Kids information state by state
State and territory Thriving Kids information
You’ll get most Thriving Kids supports through programs and services in your state or territory. These websites have more information:
- ACT Government – Thriving Kids and the ACT Government
- NSW Government – Thriving Kids
- Northern Territory Government – Thriving Kids in the Northern Territory
- Government of South Australia – Thriving Kids South Australia (PDF: 122kb)
- Tasmanian Government – Thriving Kids
- Victorian Government – Thriving Kids Victoria
- Government of Western Australia – Thriving Kids.
More information about Thriving Kids