Last checked: 10 July 2026.
Thriving Kids is a planned national system of Foundational Supports for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs. Foundational Supports are disability supports delivered outside an individual NDIS plan. Services are planned to start rolling out from 1 October 2026 and be fully operational nationally from 1 January 2028.
Important details are still being developed. Families should separate the confirmed national direction from local service details that have not yet been published.
What Has Been Confirmed
- The Australian Government and state and territory governments have committed to invest $4 billion over five years in Thriving Kids.
- The intended cohort is children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs, together with their families, carers and kin.
- Children with permanent and significant disability, including children in this age group who have high support needs, are expected to remain eligible for the NDIS under the usual arrangements.
- Services are planned to roll out from 1 October 2026, with full national operation planned from 1 January 2028.
The official national model says supports will predominantly be provided in the environments where children live, learn and play. It does not say every service will be delivered through a school, early learning centre or community hub.
What Is Not Yet Confirmed for Individual Families
The government says the specific mix of services may differ between jurisdictions and that more information about services and access will be released closer to commencement. As at 10 July 2026, families should not assume a fixed Brisbane service pathway, appointment model or delivery setting.
No official per-child funding allocation was identified in the current national material. Figures presented as a guaranteed annual amount for each child should not be treated as confirmed government policy.
The published information also does not guarantee a particular number of sessions, service intensity, provider choice, funding result or developmental outcome for an individual child.
How Thriving Kids Relates to NDIS Access
The current Thriving Kids questions and answers say governments have agreed in principle to change NDIS access arrangements from 1 January 2028 for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs. Those access changes require amendments to the NDIS Act and are not current law.
The current government position is that children in this cohort who are enrolled in the NDIS before 1 January 2028 will be reassessed under the eligibility criteria in place on 31 December 2027. Children with permanent and significant disability are expected to remain eligible, subject to the usual NDIS arrangements.
This is not an immediate automatic exit from the NDIS. A family should continue to rely on the child’s current plan and formal NDIA communication about the child’s individual circumstances.
What Families Can Do Now
- Keep using the child’s current plan in line with its funding, goals and NDIS rules.
- Check the official Thriving Kids pages for new Queensland and local access details as they are published.
- Ask the NDIA, an early childhood partner or LAC about a plan or formal decision. Ask a plan manager only about current budget, invoice or payment questions.
- Speak with the child’s qualified health or allied health professionals about clinical assessment, therapy or developmental concerns.
- Seek independent advocacy or legal advice if you need help challenging a decision.
HSN’s Limited Support-Worker Role
HORIZONS Support Network is not a Thriving Kids service, clinical provider or early childhood intervention service. We are a non-registered support-worker provider in Brisbane for self-managed and plan-managed participants only. We do not support NDIA-managed participants.
Our public services are daily personal activities, independent living skills, social and community participation and Short Term Respite. These services are not a substitute for Thriving Kids, therapy or early childhood intervention.
We do not provide SIL, clinical services, developmental assessment, therapy, Support Coordination, plan management, advocacy or legal advice. We cannot secure funding or guarantee outcomes.
Families seeking information about Thriving Kids should use the official sources below or contact their NDIA or early childhood contact. HSN can only discuss whether a separate support-worker request is within our service scope.
