21/08/2025
✨ To our Empowered Kids families ✨
We know many of you may have heard Minister Butler’s recent announcement about planned NDIS changes. It’s natural to feel uncertain, but please know you are not alone. Many advocacy groups and our Occupational Therapy peak body are already speaking up on behalf of children and families, and the details of the proposed ‘Thriving Families’ program have not yet been released.
What matters right now is that nothing has changed for your child today, and we continue to provide the same high level of support for every family in our care.
💪 We also want to remind you that families still have a voice. If you would like to add yours and call for proper consultation with the community before these changes move forward, you can do so by signing the petition below.
And of course, if you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Your therapist, our clinic team, or myself (Kristy Harris, Director) are always here to listen and support you.
Together, we are stronger. 💛
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.
