Draft Thriving Kids Program Specifications

Thriving Kids is a new program for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism, run outside the NDIS. In NSW, the Department of Communities and Justice is setting it up, and asked for feedback on its draft program specifications.

The biggest change is how families get in. Today, most families start with a clinical assessment by a paediatrician, a psychologist or a team. Under the draft, a central intake service would screen children by phone and online form instead, without needing a diagnosis, and then allocate them to a provider.

We already provide NDIS-funded therapy and assessment to children with autism, developmental delay and neurodivergent needs, the children Thriving Kids is for. We wrote as a provider intending to deliver Thriving Kids services.

See also our open letter to the Minister on Thriving Kids, our submission to the parliamentary inquiry into Thriving Kids, and our guide for families, what parents need to know about Thriving Kids 2026.

We support the program’s aims. Early help for young children, without a diagnosis as the gate, is the right goal. We raised these points to settle before contracts start.

• Show how the screening works. Screening by phone and online form isn’t a proven equivalent of a clinical assessment for young children. The tools and the evidence behind them should be published.
• Use assessments families already have. Families who already have a clinical assessment need to know how it will be used, so they don’t have to go through it twice.
• Measure the whole wait. The time from first contact to allocation should be measured and published, not only the time after allocation.
• Define who the program is for. The level of need it covers, and the point where a child should be considered for the NDIS, should be set and published before contracts start.
• Set clear bounds on support. Providers and families need to know the expected hours of support, how long a support period lasts and when it is reviewed.
• Choose providers on quality. Any provider that meets the program’s governance standard should be eligible to deliver it. We also supported the limit on passing work to subcontractors.
• Plan for the workforce. Workforce supply limits every part of the program. We asked the Department to plan without assuming the Psychology Board’s proposed training changes will add supply.

The draft specifications were part of the Department’s expression of interest for Thriving Kids providers, which closed on 29 May 2026. The Department says Thriving Kids will be rolled out gradually in NSW:

• From October 2026. Services for families who have concerns about their child’s development.
• From January 2027. Services for children who need extra help (targeted supports), through a central intake process run by the Department. A diagnosis won’t be needed.