03/10/2025
Thriving Kids Inquiry – Why Your Voice Matters
From 2026, Thriving Kids will provide supports for children under 8 with developmental delays, autism, and additional needs, outside the NDIS. This is one of the biggest changes to early supports in years.
Today I hit 'send' on my submission to the committee. I shared what families are facing: disrupted sleep, isolation, big emotions, and behaviours that don’t respond to usual parenting strategies; long paediatric waitlists leaving children without help; and parents stretched to breaking point without a “village” of support.
The design of Thriving Kids is still being worked out — which is why this Inquiry is so important. Families and professionals now have the opportunity to shape how the program will look and ensure it truly meets children’s and parents’ needs.
In my submission, I also called for Thriving Kids to:
✨ Recognise children with ADHD and early trauma, whose struggles often mirror developmental delays but are too often excluded from supports.
✨ Fund case coordination so families aren’t left stitching services together — without it, children fall through the cracks, parents burn out, and services end up duplicating or working at cross-purposes. Coordinated care means better outcomes for families and reduced long-term costs to government.
✨ Include proven relational supports — like Theraplay®, Circle of Security, Envisage Families, Marte Meo, and Tuning Into Kids — that help parents connect with their children, strengthen attachment, and support emotional wellbeing, regardless of a child’s presentation or diagnosis.
💬 Families can have their say too by completing the short survey (closes 10 Oct).
🔗 [https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=FUwh9pk60Ue4YslkjpJzFjfJstR4xGhApv__eGfhSIpUOFdRQkNRVDFRVjNTUkFVVUFGV1JQMU80TC4u
Every child deserves the chance to thrive — and every parent deserves to feel supported. 💛
The Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability is inviting you to share your experiences about support services available to help children with disability including developmental delay and autism. Typical services include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychosocial s...
