Thriving Kids Victoria update
How Thriving Kids is expected to interact with NDIS supports for children
If you've been trying to work out how Thriving Kids fits with the NDIS, you're not alone. They're related, but they're different programs and aren't intended for exactly the same group of children.
Disclaimer
TK Victorian Providers/Thrivingkidsvic.au is an independent platform associated with Qaswa.au. We are not a Victorian Government, Australian Government, NDIA or NDIS website, and we do not administer the Thriving Kids program.
AboutThe Australian Government's current model is to build Thriving Kids as a system of supports outside the NDIS for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism who have low to moderate support needs. The NDIS remains focused on people with permanent and significant disability, including children with high support needs who meet NDIS access requirements.
For families, the most important point is timing. Thriving Kids begins rolling out from October 2026, but the key NDIS access changes for young children do not begin until 1 January 2028. That overlap is deliberate. Governments are using the period between October 2026 and the end of 2027 to build Thriving Kids before new access arrangements apply.
There's a lot to take in, and the details are still being put into practice. Let's walk through the current published guidance. This guide can't predict an individual eligibility decision.
What Thriving Kids is intended to cover
Thriving Kids is aimed at 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.
A diagnosis will not be required simply to access Thriving Kids support. The Australian Government says the program is intended to identify developmental needs earlier and connect children to support based on what they need.
Supports are expected to range from information and family programs to targeted allied health and capacity-building support. Depending on need, this can include speech pathology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, low-cost assistive technology, supported playgroups, parent programs and navigation support.
So it's more than a replacement therapy funding package. The idea is to offer layers of help, from information and early identification to family support and more targeted help.
Who is expected to remain eligible for the NDIS
The Australian Government has repeatedly stated that children with permanent and significant disability will continue to be eligible for the NDIS, subject to usual NDIS arrangements.
For children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism, those with substantially reduced functional capacity or high support needs are also intended to remain within the NDIS where they meet the relevant criteria.
This distinction is important. Thriving Kids is not intended to remove the NDIS from children with permanent and significant disability or high support needs. The reform is aimed at creating a different support pathway for children whose needs are assessed as low to moderate.
For an individual child, access still depends on the law, evidence and assessment process in place at the time. Check official advice for your situation.
What happens before 1 January 2028
Until 1 January 2028, the Australian Government says there are no changes to how people access the NDIS because of Thriving Kids.
Young children can continue to use existing NDIS access pathways under the current arrangements while Thriving Kids is being established. At the same time, families may begin to use Thriving Kids supports as those supports become available.
The two systems will run alongside each other during rollout. A new Thriving Kids service in your area doesn't, by itself, mean your child loses an existing NDIS pathway.
If you're worried about your child's development now, you don't need to wait for 2028. Existing health, education, community and NDIS early childhood pathways are still relevant.
What changes from 1 January 2028
From 1 January 2028, new NDIS access arrangements are scheduled to apply for children aged 8 and under.
Under the government's current published position, children in this age group with developmental delay and/or autism and low to moderate support needs will be supported through Thriving Kids rather than entering the NDIS on that basis.
Children with permanent and significant disability, and children with developmental delay or autism who have high support needs, can remain eligible for the NDIS subject to the applicable criteria.
That is also when the full range of Thriving Kids services is intended to be operating nationally.
What about children who are already in the NDIS before 2028
If your child already has an NDIS plan, this may be the question on your mind.
The government's current reform timeline says children aged 8 and under who are enrolled in the NDIS before 1 January 2028 with developmental delay and/or autism and low to moderate support needs will not simply be treated as brand-new applicants under the new child access rule on 1 January 2028. They will be subject to reassessment under the eligibility criteria that applied before 1 January 2028.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing also states that once these children turn 9, they can be reassessed under the new eligibility criteria based on functional capacity.
This does not mean every child has an automatic lifetime guarantee of NDIS access. Normal reassessment and eligibility processes still matter. It does mean families should be careful with claims that all young children with low to moderate needs will be automatically removed from the NDIS on 1 January 2028. That is not what the current government material says.
The law has changed, but implementation is still continuing
The National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 20 August 2026.
The reform includes changes intended to make NDIS eligibility clearer and more focused on functional capacity. Some changes commence at different times, and the detailed implementation work continues.
A current Australian Government consultation on proposed NDIS access changes opened on 31 August 2026 and closes on 2 October 2026. The consultation is seeking input on how functional capacity should be assessed, what evidence should be used and how future access decisions should work.
For families and providers, this is another reason to rely on current official guidance rather than social media summaries or assumptions about future eligibility.
How the systems are supposed to connect
The aim is to connect your family with the system that best suits your child's needs.
A child with low to moderate developmental support needs may receive help through Thriving Kids, mainstream health and education, Medicare, community services and private supports. A child with permanent and significant disability or high support needs may continue to require the NDIS.
Some families may interact with more than one system at the same time. A kindergarten, GP, Maternal and Child Health nurse, allied health clinician or other professional may also play a role in identifying needs and helping a family find the right pathway.
The Australian Government has said Thriving Kids will include information and navigation support because families should not have to understand every funding boundary before asking for help.
What Victorian families should do now
If your child already has an NDIS plan, continue to follow the child's current plan and official NDIA advice. Do not cancel supports or make major decisions based only on a future policy date.
If you are concerned about a child who is not currently an NDIS participant, raise the concern now through your GP, Maternal and Child Health service, early childhood setting or other appropriate professional. The NDIS early childhood approach also continues for children younger than 9 under current arrangements.
Keep useful reports and a simple record of how your child's needs affect everyday life. These can help with care and planning, whether the pathway is Thriving Kids, the NDIS or another service.
Above all, start with what your child needs now, rather than waiting for the right program label.
ThrivingKidsVIC.au does not make NDIS eligibility decisions and does not administer Thriving Kids. Always check current government guidance for individual access questions.
FAQs
For providers
If you provide child development, allied health, family support or related services in Victoria, you can create a listing on ThrivingKidsVIC.au and make your service easier for families and referrers to find.
Add your business to listingsOfficial government sources
This article was reviewed against the following official sources on 11 September 2026.
- Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: About Thriving Kids
- Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Securing the NDIS for future generations timeline
- Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: NDIS Amendment, Securing the NDIS for Future Generations
- Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Share your thoughts on proposed changes to NDIS access
- NDIS: Thriving Kids
- NDIS: Guide to the early childhood approach