Thriving Kids: National program for early developmental support continues to move forward

Paediatricians are fundamental to identifying developmental concerns early and supporting children and families to access the right care. Governments are progressing Thriving Kids, a new national early‑support program that will see many children with low to moderate developmental needs transition from the NDIS into a different support pathway.

As a major reform for children aged eight and under with developmental delay and/or autism, the design of Thriving Kids will shape referral pathways, early intervention services and clinical oversight, with direct implications for paediatric practice nationwide. Alongside our paediatricians, the RACP is engaging with government and sector partners to better understand how the program will be implemented and to ensure emerging models reflect the realities of contemporary healthcare.

The role of the RACP

The RACP is well equipped to shape Thriving Kids because our 6,000 paediatric Fellows and trainees bring real‑world expertise in child health, development and wellbeing. Their frontline experience drives evidence‑informed, culturally safe models and ensures children and their families receive appropriate, coordinated care. This clinical insight makes the RACP a key voice in designing a national early‑support model.

The RACP wrote to the Hon. Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Ageing and Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, in partnership with the Australasian Society for Developmental Paediatrics and the Academy of Child and Adolescent Health. This letter offered our support to the Government’s commitment to enabling a sustainable NDIS and Foundational Supports system and ensuring a fit for purpose scheme that enables children and their families to thrive, offering our expertise and input for the design  and planning to come.

The RACP also provided a submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Thriving Kids initiative. Our submission noted strong support of the Government’s initiative as a timely and strategic reform to advance the health, development, and wellbeing of all Australian children. Whilst also providing advice for principles to guide the development of the initiative, noting the role the RACP can play, and highlighting existing RACP work. The submission also discusses important and key considerations related to the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference.

What the RACP is calling for

The RACP is urging the Commonwealth Government to include key reforms in its model to successfully move children with low to moderate support needs from the NDIS to the Thriving Kids program, including:

• Nationally consistent screening and referral pathways that include a national digital parent resource platform with funding to promote it, formal three year-old developmental checks, and standard guidance on “red flags” when referring children.
• Service access and delivery including multidisciplinary community hubs that co-locate paediatrics, allied health, education and family services; universal access to resources and support (including for regional, rural and remote); and embedded service navigation to fund evidence-informed programs and brief interventions.
• Governance and clinical oversight including the appointment of a national Chief Paediatrician and ongoing input from paediatricians and developmental specialists.
• Workforce and capability investment to expand allied health capacity; strengthen training in early developmental surveillance, cultural safety and neurodiversity-affirming practice; and incentivise rural access.
• Robust monitoring, data linkage and evaluation based on standard metrics, nationally consistent outcome measures, and improvements to digital information sharing.
• Culturally safe, community led models for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with expanded ACCHO-based assessment teams and outreach funding.
• Alignment of federal and state/territory funding.
• A focus on ensuring autism diagnoses are not overlooked.
• Continued access to NDIS when needed.

Parliamentary inquiry report

A parliamentary inquiry into Thriving Kids, referred by Minister Mark Butler in September 2025, sought stakeholder input on how to build a nationally consistent, early‑intervention system. It gathered submissions, held hearings and consulted with communities to help shape the program’s design.

Its final report, No Child Left Behind, confirmed Thriving Kids as a central pillar of NDIS reform. The report recommended stronger governance, clearer early‑identification pathways, more fair access, workforce development, and better coordination across mainstream and disability systems.

Advisory Group report findings

The Thriving Kids Advisory Group, an expert body set up in 2025, completed its work and delivered a final report in February 2026. The report set out a national model proposal outlining principles such as child‑ and family‑centred supports, pathways that do not require a diagnosis, universal parenting supports, targeted allied health‑led interventions, coordinated services, stronger workforce capability, and a national digital child health record.

Key gaps still unaddressed

Despite the strengths of both the Parliamentary Inquiry report and the Advisory Group’s recommendations, several critical elements championed by the RACP remain absent. Aspects left out of one or both reports include:

• A nationally consistent model with a national developmental surveillance model.
• Screening, guidance and digital resources including standardised national “red flag” guidance and nationally endorsed digital parenting resource made up of evidence-based materials.
• Governance and clinical oversight including medical oversight in child and family hubs, embedded paediatricians and developmental specialists in service delivery, appointment of a national Chief Paediatrician, clear program-wide outcomes, and independent oversight.
• Access, equity and inclusion provisions including guaranteed access without a formal diagnosis; access via telehealth; and stronger equity measures for marginalised communities.
• Autism and neurodevelopmental considerations such as sensitivity to the use of “severity” terminology in relation to autism and the understanding that autism is a permanent neurodevelopmental difference, not a developmental delay.

For paediatricians, Thriving Kids will shape how children with developmental needs are identified, referred and supported in the years ahead. Our advocacy calls for the program to strengthen, rather than fragment, care pathways by embedding clinical expertise, improving early identification and ensuring equitable access to evidence‑informed supports. The RACP will continue engaging with governments, stakeholders and members to inform the program’s development and implementation.

Members interested in contributing to this work are encouraged to contact the Policy and Advocacy team at policy@racp.edu.au to connect.