A new, free-standing Australian Government program for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism. Started rolling out 1 October 2026. Here's what it actually means for your family right now, in plain language.
It's a new government program, separate from the NDIS, meant to help children with developmental delay or autism get support earlier — before they'd necessarily qualify for the NDIS. It's jointly funded by the Commonwealth and the states/territories (up to $4 billion over 5 years).
Who it's for: children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism, with low-to-moderate support needs. You don't need a diagnosis to access it. Children with a permanent, significant disability or high support needs keep their NDIS eligibility as before — nothing changes for them.
You don't need a GP referral for any of the above — you or your family can contact them directly.
Already on the NDIS, or think your child might need more than low-to-moderate support? Nothing changes for you right now. NDIS access rules for children don't change until January 2028 at the earliest, and children are continuing to be assessed under current NDIS criteria until then.
Not for children already on the NDIS, and not yet for anyone. Thriving Kids is a new, separate program that sits alongside the NDIS. NDIS access changes for children aged 8 and under with low-to-moderate needs are planned for 1 January 2028 — nothing changes before then.
No. The Department of Health says a diagnosis is not required. Thriving Kids is for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism and low-to-moderate support needs — a parent's concern is a reasonable starting point.
Not for the services available now (the Autism Helpline and the Raising Children Network hub) — you can contact them directly. Your GP is still a good first conversation if you're not sure what's relevant for your child, and can book the Medicare Healthy Kids Check from November 2026 if your child is turning 3.
Thriving Kids is a government-funded program. The official sources don't state a specific fee for each service — check with the individual service (e.g. the Autism Helpline) if cost matters to you.
As of 1 October 2026, Queensland hadn't signed the agreement with the federal government — the only state not to. This is being actively negotiated. The national helpline and information hub are available to Queensland families either way.