You may have heard about Thriving Kids, a new program that will change the way some children with developmental delay and/or autism access early intervention support.
With the first Thriving Kids services due to begin in NSW from October 2026, we’re starting to get a clearer picture of how the program will work.
There are still details to come, but here’s what we know so far about what is changing, what is not changing and what happens next.
What is changing?
Thriving Kids is a new program providing early intervention services for children aged eight and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs, as well as their families, carers and kin.
The program is part of changes to the way children and families are supported in community settings outside of the NDIS.
Importantly, a diagnosis will not be required to access Thriving Kids services.
New supports will begin from October 2026
In NSW, Thriving Kids will provide two types of services: general supports and targeted supports.
From October 2026, general supports will begin to become available for families who have concerns about their child’s development.
These will include:
- supported playgroups for children aged five and under
- peer support and parenting programs
- information, advice and referrals to help families understand their child’s development and find support early.
General supports will be delivered by non-government organisations in local communities commissioned by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).
From January 2027, targeted supports will begin to become available for children who need extra help for a specific period of time.
These supports will be goal-focused and may include:
- allied health therapies delivered by qualified clinicians
- individual or small-group, play-based therapy sessions
- coordination of a family’s Thriving Kids supports
- information, advice and referrals
- in some circumstances, low-cost assistive technology to support a child’s developmental goals.
Targeted supports will be delivered by non-government organisations commissioned by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), as well as directly by NSW Government agencies in some locations.
Access to targeted supports will be through a central intake process managed by DCJ.
What is not changing?
For families currently receiving support, this is an important part of the Thriving Kids rollout.
Changes to NDIS access will not happen until 2028
Changes to NDIS access for children will commence from 1 January 2028 and will be limited to children aged eight and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs.
Children who are enrolled in the NDIS before 1 January 2028 will have their NDIS reassessments made under the eligibility criteria that were in place before that date.
This means there is no need for families currently accessing the NDIS to make changes to their supports now because of Thriving Kids.
Existing services are still available
Families also don’t need to wait for Thriving Kids if they need support now.
Until Thriving Kids services become available, families can continue to use existing services.
This includes the NDIS Early Childhood Approach, which supports children under nine with developmental delay or disability, as well as other NSW services and supports for children and families.
What happens next?
The rollout of Thriving Kids will happen progressively.
General supports will begin from October 2026, followed by targeted supports from January 2027. Additional general and targeted services will continue to become available across NSW throughout 2027.
There are still some important details to come.
DCJ has advised that more information about eligibility, intake and referral pathways will be published before services become available.
We’re also waiting to learn exactly which services will be available in different areas of NSW. DCJ will publish information about available services, where they are located and how families can access them as the rollout progresses.
Thriving Kids services are expected to be fully operational by 1 January 2028.
What does this mean for Stronger Together families?
We know changes to the systems supporting children with developmental differences and disability can bring questions and uncertainty for families.
For now, the key message is that Thriving Kids is being introduced progressively and families can continue to access their existing supports while the new services are rolled out.
Over the coming months, we expect to learn much more about eligibility, referral pathways, what services will be available locally and how families will access them.
Stronger Together Foundation will continue to follow the NSW rollout and share relevant information with our families as further details are confirmed.
For the latest information, visit the NSW Department of Communities and Justice Thriving Kids page.
Last updated: September 2026
