Carers ACT acknowledges the announcement of the Thriving Kids initiative by Health and Disability Minister Mark Butler at the National Press Club on Wednesday, 20 August 2025. The initiative aims to support children with mild to moderate developmental delays and neurodivergence outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), through mainstream settings such as schools, general practice and allied health services.

As an organisation dedicated to supporting carers and the people they care for, we recognise this represents a significant policy shift that will directly impact thousands of families across Australia.

At this stage, the details of Thriving Kids are still emerging, and Carers ACT is carefully reviewing all available information. A factsheet with the key information can be found on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website. We are formally requesting meetings with key politicians and decision-makers to understand how it will be implemented, how it will interact with existing supports, and what it will mean for children and their carers here in the ACT.

We recognise that changes of this magnitude can create uncertainty for carers already navigating complex support systems. We want to assure carers, families and the wider community that Carers ACT will remain vigilant advocates throughout this process.

Our priority will be to ensure that carer voices are heard, the program and its implications are thoroughly considered, and that any changes genuinely improve outcomes for children and provide the support that carers and families deserve.

A federal parliamentary committee is looking into the recently announced Thriving Kids Initiative – which aims to support children with mild to moderate developmental delays and neurodivergence outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) through mainstream settings such as schools, general practice and allied health services.

The committee wants to hear from carers and families about their experiences with current support services for children with mild to moderate developmental delays or autism, what’s working well, what’s missing, and how services could better work together to support carers and children. Carers can make a submission or complete a feedback survey by visiting the Inquiry into the Thriving Kids initiative – Parliament of Australia website.