Thriving Kids or the NDIS? A parent's guide to the two pathways from 2026 to 2028

For a decade the NDIS was effectively the only funded pathway for young children with developmental differences, which is one reason more than half of new participants each quarter have been children. Thriving Kids was created to change that. Understanding how the two systems fit together will help you make calm decisions rather than reacting to headlines.

The two pathways side by side

	Thriving Kids	NDIS early childhood approach
Who	Children 8 and under with developmental delay or autism, low to moderate needs	Children under 9 with developmental delay or disability (under 7 for delay-based access)
Diagnosis needed?	No	No for early connections; evidence of delay or disability for an NDIS plan
What you get	Phone lines, parenting programs, playgroups, community hubs; targeted allied health from 2027 (NSW)	Individual plan with funded therapy, support workers, equipment
Who runs it	Commonwealth and states (DCJ in NSW); not-for-profit providers	NDIA through early childhood partners
Cost to family	Free	Free
Started	1 October 2026, full rollout by 1 January 2028	Running since 2016; access criteria change 1 January 2028 for under-9s with low to moderate needs

Scenario 1: your child is under 8 and not on the NDIS

Call the Medicare Thriving Kids Line on 1800 882 436. It is staffed by maternal and child health nurses from 7am to midnight, seven days. Ask about parent peer support and supported playgroups in your area, which are the first NSW services to open. If your concern is specifically about autism, the Thriving Kids Autism Helpline on 1300 654 789 runs weekdays 8am to 7pm.

You can still apply to the NDIS through an early childhood partner until 31 December 2027 under the current rules. If your child's needs are significant, we would encourage you to do both: use Thriving Kids now, and lodge the NDIS access request with your evidence. From January 2027, NSW's targeted supports (allied health and goal-focused intervention) are expected to open, which may be enough for many children with mild delays.

Scenario 2: your child is already on the NDIS

Nothing changes to your plan because of the launch. Government has said children on the NDIS before 1 January 2028 will continue to be reassessed under pre-2028 criteria, and existing child participants will be reassessed over three years using a new standardised functional capacity assessment that is still being designed. The things that affect you sooner are the October 2026 budget changes to community participation and daily living skills budgets, which apply at your next renewal.

You can also use Thriving Kids general supports, such as the helplines, parenting programs and playgroups, alongside your NDIS plan. They are universal services.

Scenario 3: your child turns 9 or has needs between the two systems

This is the group advocates and academics are most worried about: children too old for Thriving Kids but not eligible for the NDIS, and young people who leave the scheme at reassessment. Foundational Supports for older children and adults have a national agreement (from February 2026) but no published service model yet. In practice, the options today are school-based supports, Medicare chronic disease and mental health plans, and NSW community services. Keep documentation of functional needs regardless of which system your child is in; it transfers between them.

What "low to moderate" means

Government has not published a single cut-off. The February 2026 Thriving Kids model describes children who need support with learning, communication or behaviour but do not have substantially reduced functional capacity across daily life. The NDIS pathway remains for children with permanent and significant disability, including autism with high support needs. The standardised functional capacity assessment being built for 2028 will make this boundary clearer; until then, decisions use the existing early childhood evidence requirements.

Five decisions you can make today

1. Register your concern early. Call the Thriving Kids Line even if you are not sure. Early identification is the whole point of the program.
2. Keep a developmental diary. Dates, milestones, what works. It is evidence for either pathway.
3. Ask your GP about the Medicare Healthy Kids Check for three-year-olds, scheduled to start on 1 November 2026, and keep up the existing Blue Book checks.
4. If your child is on the NDIS, prepare for renewal with functional reports. Our reassessment checklist walks through it.
5. Join the conversation. NSW is still selecting providers and locations. Local parent groups and the NSW DCJ Thriving Kids page are the places to watch.