30 September 2026
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) says the Federal Government should establish the role of a National Chief Paediatrician to oversee rollout and implementation of the Thriving Kids program, saying that oversight and national coordination is critical to ensuring children and their families can access the right support.
Starting tomorrow and building over the next 15 months, all states and territories will progressively roll out supports for children aged eight and under with developmental delay and/or autism and low to moderate support needs.
Thriving Kids aims to provide earlier access to information, advice, developmental checks, parenting supports and targeted services, while working alongside the NDIS.
Dr Paul Hotton, paediatrician and President-elect of the RACP Paediatrics and Child Health Division says “We know a lot of parents and families are feeling anxious and uncertain about what the latest changes to the NDIS and the introduction of Thriving Kids means for their child’s care.
“Navigating these changes might feel daunting, and we want to make sure parents know they can ask their usual healthcare provider or paediatrician for help.
“Paediatricians play a critical role in identifying developmental concerns early and helping families navigate the health, disability and education systems. As Thriving Kids rolls out, paediatricians will be an important source of advice and support for families seeking to understand what services are available.
“There is still no national definition of ‘severe’, ‘moderate’ or ‘low’, nor guidelines on how children flow through systems once they age beyond 8.
“We want the establishment of a national Chief Paediatrician to ensure that the program has a consistent rollout and that no children fall through any gaps. This role will also help to keep standards and referral pathways consistent across Australia.
"Because Thriving Kids services will be delivered differently across states and territories, strong national clinical oversight will be essential to ensure children receive equitable access to support regardless of where they live.
“We need to make sure if we are changing a new system it is changed for the better of all Australian children.
“Governments should also publish clear outcome measures so that families and clinicians can see whether the program is working.
“As the program starts and scales up over the next 15 months, we’ll start to see how the experience of Thriving Kids is for everyday families who need support. And that’s going to look a bit different based on what state or territory they’re in.
“Early identification of children’s developmental needs is critical – and we want Thriving Kids to succeed by making it easier for children and their families to get early intervention and access to support. It’s important we have systems in place to oversee and monitor these outcomes.”
"Importantly, there are no changes to NDIS access pathways for children aged eight and under until January 2028. Families should continue to access support in the same way they do now while Thriving Kids is progressively rolled out."
The RACP represents more than 6,500 paediatric and child health members in Australia who work every day at the interface of the health, disability, education and social services sectors. Paediatricians are often the first specialists to assess a child’s development and guide families to the right care.
The RACP will continue to work with governments, government departments and agencies, paediatric specialty societies, as well as families and carers as Thriving Kids is implemented.
The RACP has engaged with the development of Thriving Kids since it was announced in August 2025. In October 2025, a submission was made to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Thriving Kids initiative, offering paediatric expertise to the program’s design.