06/11/2025
The early childhood landscape is changing fast and that change brings a real opportunity for innovation.
As Foundational Supports (and Thriving Kids) establish rollout dates for children with developmental concerns, and the National Autism Strategy continues to evolve, we’re seeing a shift in how early intervention is funded, accessed, and delivered. At Our Future Focus, we believe social workers must be right at the centre of this transformation. We are absolutely key.
Social workers delivering NDIS therapy should be rethinking and innovating how we do early childhood support — supporting partnerships in community, health and education, parent-designed programs, models that support all kids, and blended and shared NDIS + non-NDIS pathways to development — all grounded in capacity-building social work values.
It is a policy shift, but we think it’s a practice opportunity. Now’s the time to design the kind of early intervention model we wish existed: integrated, equitable, and driven by social work values.
At Our Future Focus, we are already working with community leaders, health providers, and families to influence policy, strengthen service pathways, and co-create innovative early childhood supports.
