21/08/2025
At The OT Room, we see every day how vital safe, consistent supports are for children and families. The Thriving Kids proposal risks leaving kids in systems already under strain.
I know our children deserve better - supports that are inclusive, co-designed, and grounded in dignity and justice.
Please read, share, and add your voice (we only have until 5pm today).
F I R S T - W E - B U I L D - I T
Join us by endorsing our response to Thriving Kids
On 20 August 2025, Minister Butler announced the Thriving Kids initiative, shifting children with disability, developmental delay, neurodivergence, and developmental vulnerabilities out of the NDIS into a $2 billion “foundational supports” program.
While ambitious, Reimagine along with many other advocates, peak bodies, parents, carers, and practitioners are concerned the proposal risks harm: it was not co-designed with families or practitioners, it underfunds the scale of need, and it places children into systems that are already failing.
Reimagine Australia has released our collective response: “First, We Build It” — a call to pause, co-design, and rebuild early childhood supports in ways that are inclusive, safe, and grounded in human rights and disability justice.
You can read our DRAFT Position Statement; First, We Build It here:https://reimagine.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DRAFT-First-We-Build-It.pdf
We are inviting families, practitioners, organisations, and allies to endorse this statement. Endorsements will be included in our submission to the Minister, amplifying our united call for restorative reform.
If you share our concerns and vision, please take a moment to complete this form. By endorsing the statement, you add your voice to a growing coalition calling for reform that is co-designed, inclusive, and grounded in justice. Whether you are a parent, professional, community leader, or ally — your support matters.
Add your details here, by COB Friday 22 August, 2025, to become a co-signatory: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8Hh9W6eknDT6tR7SiJ9WXaYNUn3zmYuoHyhO1-RFisitPdg/viewform
We have a short window of opportunity to make an impact, so please share this information widely amongst any networks you have across early childhood.
