Thriving Kids: What Providers and Families Need to Know Before October 2026

The biggest change to early childhood disability support since the NDIS began is now less than two months away. From 1 October 2026, state governments start rolling out Thriving Kids — a national system of supports for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism, delivered outside individual NDIS plans.

When we covered the 2025–26 NDIS changes last year, Thriving Kids was still a proposal that families were watching nervously. It is now funded, timetabled, and moving quickly: states are commissioning providers, tender processes are underway, and the first services open their doors this October. Here is the full picture.

What Is Thriving Kids?

Thriving Kids is the first phase of what governments call Foundational Supports — help delivered through mainstream and community settings rather than through individual NDIS plans. It targets children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs, along with their families, carers and kin.

The Commonwealth, states and territories have committed $4 billion over five years to the first phase. At least $1.4 billion of the Australian Government's $2 billion contribution flows directly to the states to deliver services on the ground.

Two design choices set Thriving Kids apart from the NDIS pathway families know today. First, children will not need a formal diagnosis to access support. Second, supports will be delivered where families already are — through GPs, early childhood services, playgroups, and community organisations — rather than through an individually managed plan and budget.

Importantly, children with higher support needs and significant functional impact remain eligible for the NDIS under the usual arrangements. Thriving Kids does not replace the scheme for children who need it.

The cohort this reform touches is substantial. As at 31 March 2026, 167,787 children younger than 9 had an NDIS plan, and autism and developmental delay are the most prevalent disability types among participants under 18. Thriving Kids is designed to give many of these children — and those who never enter the scheme — earlier help in everyday settings.

The Key Dates

Each state is running its own rollout. NSW opened an expression of interest in May 2026, invited shortlisted organisations to tender in July 2026, and expects contracts to commence from October 2026, with further procurement rounds for services starting in 2027. Other jurisdictions are moving on their own timelines, so it pays to watch your state's announcements closely.

What Supports Will Be Available

Thriving Kids supports sit in two broad tiers, alongside routine child development checks designed to pick up delays and differences as early as possible.

General Supports

General supports are open to any family with concerns about their child's development — no assessment required. They include trusted information and advice, parenting programs and coaching, peer support groups, and supported playgroups. In NSW, supported playgroups for children aged 5 and under are among the first services arriving from October 2026.

Targeted Supports

Targeted supports are time-limited, goal-focused help for children who need more. They include allied health therapies — such as speech pathology, occupational therapy and psychology — delivered one-on-one or in small, play-based group sessions by qualified clinicians. Providers delivering targeted supports will also coordinate a family's Thriving Kids services, and in some circumstances supply low-cost assistive technology.

Services are expected to be family-centred, culturally safe and delivered in everyday settings: the family home, early learning environments, community venues and outreach, with blended online follow-up where appropriate.

How NDIS Access Changes From January 2028

From 1 January 2028, new applicants aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism and low to moderate support needs will be supported through Thriving Kids instead of entering the NDIS.

Children already enrolled in the NDIS before 1 January 2028 will be reassessed under the eligibility criteria in place before that date — not the new rules. And children with higher support needs remain eligible for the NDIS, subject to the usual arrangements.

These access changes have been agreed in principle by all governments, but they require amendments to the NDIS Act. Final details may still shift as legislation moves through Parliament, which is one more reason to stay across official updates over the coming year.

What This Means for Providers

If early childhood supports are part of your service mix, Thriving Kids changes your operating model, not just your referral sources. Commissioned contracts with state governments replace individual plan billing for this cohort, and that has flow-on effects across the organisation:

• Revenue: Audit how much of your caseload currently enters through early childhood NDIS plans, and model how referrals may shift once access changes begin in January 2028.
• Procurement: Thriving Kids services are being commissioned by state governments — register your interest and monitor your state's tender portals now. NSW has flagged a preference for not-for-profit providers.
• Service models: Expect family-centred, community-based delivery — in homes, early learning settings and community venues — including small-group therapy and outreach, rather than clinic-only models.
• Workforce: Qualified allied health practitioners, clinical supervision structures and group facilitation skills are being assessed as selection criteria in tenders.
• Reporting: Commissioned contracts carry outcome monitoring and reporting obligations, so documentation and record-keeping systems matter more than ever.

What This Means for Families

Nothing changes overnight. If your child has an NDIS plan today, their supports continue, and any reassessment before January 2028 happens under the existing criteria. If your child has higher support needs, the NDIS remains their pathway.

From October 2026, keep an eye out for announcements about Thriving Kids services in your area. You will not need a diagnosis to get started, and the first supports will be available through familiar places — your GP, early childhood services, playgroups and local community organisations.

If you have concerns about your child's development right now, do not wait for the new system. Talk to your GP or child health nurse — early conversations lead to earlier help, whichever pathway your child ends up on.

How to Prepare Now

• Register interest with your state's commissioning body and set alerts on tender portals — further procurement rounds are coming for services starting in 2027.
• Review your early childhood referral pathways and revenue exposure over the next 24 months.
• Strengthen clinical governance, supervision and outcome measurement — tenders are assessing them.
• Get documentation, rostering and reporting systems in order before contracts commence.
• Keep families informed. Clear, calm communication now prevents anxiety when access changes arrive in 2028.

Final Thoughts

Thriving Kids is the most significant reshaping of early childhood disability support since the NDIS launched. Done well, it means families get help earlier, in everyday settings, without waiting on a diagnosis. For providers, it is both a genuine opportunity and a real transition risk — commissioned, outcomes-focused contracts reward organisations that can demonstrate quality, governance and solid record-keeping.

The window between now and October 2026 is preparation time. Providers who engage with procurement early — and families who stay informed — will be best placed when the first services open their doors.

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