Thriving Kids starts today. What's actually changing?

The first phase of the $4 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) alternative for kids under nine with developmental delay or autism who have "low to moderate" support needs begins today.Thriving Kids is intended to offer children and families a baseline level of support in places they already live, learn and play, without needing a diagnosis or specialist referral.While running under a national model, each state and territory will run their own iteration of Thriving Kids.Here's what you need to know about the system, what's changing today, and what your state or territory is saying about it.What's changing today?Not much.Today simply marks the first stage of the program, with the launch of what are being called "general supports".That includes the Thriving Kids Autism Helpline (1300 654 789) delivered by autism organisation Amaze, which will provide autism-specific information, guidance and connections to relevant services.An online resource hub, delivered by the Raising Children Network, will contain information, practical resources and guidance to help families support their child's development.A Medicare-funded three-year-old developmental health check is set to start on November 1, aiming to give families cheaper access to a doctor to help catch developmental concerns early.States and territories will then gradually phase in "targeted supports", which involve more intensive supports such as playgroups and allied health therapies, with full rollout expected to be reached by January 2028."We are absolutely committed to making sure that for children under the age of nine, those Thriving Kids services are fully up and running [by then]. We're not going to let parents and children fall between two stalls," federal minister Mark Butler said.How is 'low to moderate' defined?This is the $4 billion question, but one we don't have an exact answer for yet."Thriving Kids is going to be available for children that have mild to moderate support needs. But at the moment, it's really unclear exactly what that means," Children and Young People with Disability Australia chief executive Skye Kakoschke-Moore said."It's also unclear how families who might have more than one child with mild to moderate support needs are going to be supported."Skye Kakoschke-Moore says big questions remain unanswered. (ABC News: Ben Pettitt)Does this mean my child will be kicked off the NDIS?Not today.The government says there will be no changes to how people access the NDIS until January 2028 — the date Thriving Kids is expected to be completely rolled out and when new eligibility criteria, currently being designed, will be in place."We'll have two systems operate in parallel. Children are still able to be enrolled in the NDIS from now until the end of next year in the same way they have been … but at the same time we will be rolling out new Commonwealth supports and new state supports," Mr Butler said.Children with "permanent" and "significant" disability, including developmental delay and autism, will remain eligible for the NDIS beyond 2028.Anecdotal evidence from disability advocates and allied health professionals suggests some children have been removed from the NDIS before Thriving Kids begins, something the government strenuously denies.What are the other big questions?Advocates are worried about what will happen to the children who are no longer eligible for the NDIS, but too old for Thriving Kids.Mr Butler said he is talking to the states about the development of supports outside the NDIS for other groups, including kids over nine. But considering Thriving Kids isn't ready yet, many are sceptical about how timely or effective such a program for over-nines may be.Concerns have also been flagged about whether children with "moderate" support needs will be adequately catered for and how Thriving Kids will be properly delivered in already stretched education settings.Additionally, while families will not need a diagnosis to access Thriving Kids supports, it's still unclear what they will need.The new assessment process that will determine whether a child goes into Thriving Kids or the NDIS is also yet to be designed.While that change and others don't kick in until the start of 2028, giving governments more time to prepare, that also means another year of uncertainty for families.It's also unclear how well Thriving Kids will cater for the specific needs of Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse children, who have historically faced barriers engaging with disability supports.SNAICC, an advocacy group for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, said Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) are trusted places already providing wraparound, culturally strong support for families, and so they must be sufficiently resourced and involved in delivery.How did we get here?Thriving Kids was announced last August with the federal government under growing pressure to reduce the growth of the NDIS, which cost more than $50 billion last financial year.Statistics from June 2025 showed 11 per cent of all kids between five and seven years of age were on the scheme.The states and territories shut their disability services when the NDIS began, leaving families with nowhere else to go if they wanted support.The Albanese government earlier this year agreed to boost states and territory hospital funding in exchange for them taking on more of a role in disability support.What your state saysWith Thriving Kids set to look a little different in each jurisdiction, the ABC contacted all states and territories to ask what families can expect over the next 15 months.Queensland is yet to formally sign up to the program and is therefore not included in these responses.Western AustraliaRead more VictoriaRead more South AustraliaRead more TasmaniaRead more Northern TerritoryRead more Additional reporting by political reporter Ewa Staszewska