Thriving Kids is a national system of supports for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs, and their families, carers and kin.
Thriving Kids will help give children the best start in life by identifying children with additional developmental needs as early as possible, when timely, evidence-based supports can make the greatest impact.
Children with permanent and significant disability and children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have substantially reduced functional capacity (high support needs) will remain eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), subject to usual arrangements.
Governments have committed to jointly contribute $4 billion over 5 years to implement the first phase of Foundational Supports, known as ‘Thriving Kids’. This investment will support children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs, and their families, carers and kin. At least $1.4 billion of the Australian Government’s $2 billion contribution will be provided as direct funding to states for Thriving Kids services.
Foundational Supports were a key recommendation of the Independent Review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme (the Review). Since the Review, governments have consistently heard children will be better supported to thrive through services that are easier-to-access in the locations they live, learn and play. This feedback has been gathered through:
Supports will help give children the best start in life by ensuring those with additional developmental needs receive quality supports earlier in their developmental journey – when these supports can have a big impact.
Parents and families will be able to access trusted information, advice and evidence-based child development supports delivered by allied health professionals, where these are needed to achieve good outcomes. Each child’s needs and circumstances will guide decisions about which Thriving Kids services and supports are best suited for them and their family. Children and families will access supports matched to their needs.
The Australian Government and all state and territory governments have agreed in principle to change NDIS access arrangements to support the rollout of Thriving Kids.
These changes will ensure children and their families are supported to access services from the system best suited to their needs.
Changes to NDIS access will commence from 1 January 2028 and will be limited to children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs.
Children aged 8 and under enrolled in the NDIS prior to 1 January 2028 with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs to be subject to reassessment under the eligibility criteria in place prior to 1 January 2028.
These changes will require amendments to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth). The Australian Government will work closely with state and territory governments, people with disability and the disability sector to inform the design and implementation of these important reforms.
Thriving Kids will commence rollout of state services no later than 1 October 2026 and is expected to be at scale from 1 January 2028.
This will ensure national services are in place ahead of changes to NDIS access arrangements from 1 January 2028.
Governments will continue to engage with the community on implementation arrangements in the months ahead. Details about specific services and how to access them will be made available closer to services commencing.
On 2 September 2025, Minister for Health and Ageing and Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme referred an inquiry into the Thriving Kids initiative (the Inquiry) to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability (the Committee).
The Committee accepted written submissions addressing the terms of reference and conducted a survey to gather community feedback on the experiences of families and carers in accessing support services for children with additional needs. The Inquiry’s findings will continue to help develop Thriving Kids.
The Parliamentary Inquiry Report into Thriving Kids is now available.
Learn more about the Committee’s inquiry.
The Australian Government appointed an expert group to provide advice on how we can best support children and families across Australia. The Advisory Group has now published its advice to governments in a final report. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (the department) has also developed a suite of supporting accessible communication products, including Easy Read summaries and Auslan videos.
You can find these materials and learn about the Thriving Kids Advisory Group.
Older people have a right to make decisions about their own lives. This includes decisions about their care.
Supported decision-making means helping an older person to make and communicate their own decisions and have control of their lives.
It focuses on helping older people:
Supported decision-making is different for everyone. It can include:
Older people can choose who supports them. For example:
They can have more than one supporter.
A registered supporter is someone an older person trusts – like a family member or friend – who helps them make and communicate their own decisions about their care, including speaking to providers, aged care assessors, and us. They can ask for, access, and receive information about the older person they support. This is different from a guardian or power of attorney, who can legally make decisions for an older person.
Registered supporters don’t have the authority to make decisions for the older person. Their role is to:
Some registered supporters also have roles such as guardianship or enduring power of attorney.
Supporters can be registered by:
Not every older person will want or need a registered supporter. Some will feel they are already supported by their family, carers and other significant people in their lives to make their own decisions.
We’ll work with the older person and whoever they choose to support them with their complaint. Their supporters do not have to be registered to work with us.
Older people can have support from an aged care advocate. An advocate is an independent person who can listen to their concerns and provide information. Advocates can help them make a complaint.
To find an aged care advocate, contact the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) on 1800 700 600 or visit opan.com.au.
From 10 November, if you need to change your email address or mobile number, we'll send you a one-time code. We'll also send a confirmation message to both your old and new contact details. These are extra security measures to make sure someone can't change your details without your consent.
We’re improving how we check and confirm your identity when you use our systems and services.
When you call us, email us, or log in to our app or portals, we’ll be checking that your account information is up to date and matches the information you use to access other government services, such as myGov.
You may notice new pop-up messages in our app or portals asking you to check or update your personal details.
Our pop-ups may ask you to link to other government services, like Medicare, Centrelink and the Australia Tax Office, using myGov.
Linking to other government services doesn’t give us access to the information you share with those services
These pop-up messages are part of our ongoing work to keep your personal information and NDIS account safe and protected from fraud.
We want to make sure that only you and your nominated representatives can access your account information, plan details and NDIS funds.
The pop-up message will tell you what actions you need to take.
If you need to update personal information such as your email address or mobile phone number, we may send you a one-time code to your new email address or mobile number for you to verify.
By doing this, we’re making sure the new details we have on file for you are valid and correct.
When you update your details, we’ll also send a confirmation message to both your old and new email address or mobile number, as an extra security measure.
You can call our National Contact Centre on 1800 800 110 if you have any concerns about requests to provide or update your personal information.
Even if you don’t receive a pop-up message, there are some actions you should take to ensure your account is as secure as possible:
If you use the my NDIS mobile app, you should:
Completing these actions now will mean you will have more self-service options through our app and portals over the coming months.
All NDIS participants have the right to access safe and ethical supports and services.
All NDIS participants have the right to access safe and ethical supports and services. The NDIS Code of Conduct helps providers, key personnel and workers respect and uphold those rights by defining expected conduct, behaviour and culture.
The NDIS Code of Conduct requires people who deliver NDIS supports and services to:
The NDIS Code of Conduct is described in section 6 of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Code of Conduct) Rules 2018.
This video is also available in 9 languages other than English and Auslan.
The NDIS Code of Conduct must be followed by:
NDIS Commission employees need to follow the NDIS Code of Conduct as well as the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct.
The last point of the NDIS Code of Conduct talks about fair pricing. Pricing is fair when there is no major price difference between the cost of a product or service for a NDIS participant compared to other customers.
For more information see Fair pricing.
The NDIS Commission has produced a series of short, practical education videos about the Code of Conduct.
These videos use real-world examples to describe the different elements of the Code of Conduct. They help registered providers, unregistered providers and workers understand their obligations:
The NDIS Workforce Capability Framework translates the NDIS Code of Conduct and Practice Standards into observable behaviours and capabilities for workers at all levels. It gives clear, practical examples and establishes a shared language of ‘what good looks like’ for participants when they receive NDIS supports and services.
Access the Workforce Capability Framework.
The ‘Worker orientation module – Quality, safety and you’ online module explains what workers need to do under the NDIS Code of Conduct, explained from a participant’s perspective. This module is useful for all workers, and mandatory for staff of registered NDIS providers.
Access the Worker Orientation Module – Quality, Safety and You.
If an NDIS participant, a family member, a carer, a worker, a provider, or anyone is concerned about the safety or quality of NDIS supports or services, it’s important to raise your concern.
Start by talking to the provider if you feel comfortable doing so.
Providers must make participants feel safe and comfortable to discuss issues with them. They must not threaten you for raising a concern or complaint.
If you do not want to speak with the provider, or you’re not happy with how they addressed your concern, contact the NDIS Commission for complaints about a provider or worker.
People with disability have the right to be safe. Learn how to receive quality supports and services from NDIS providers and workers.
People with disability have the right to be safe. They also have the right to receive quality supports and services from NDIS providers and workers.
The NDIS Commission works to uphold the rights of people with disability, including the right to dignity and respect, and to live free from abuse, exploitation and violence.
We do this by:
The NDIS Code of Conduct supports the rights of people with disability in the NDIS to have access to safe and ethical supports and services.
Your provider is responsible for offering you interpreter services to help you use your supports.
Resources: What a breach of the Code of Conduct can
look like and what to do when it happens
Only self-managed or plan-managed NDIS participants can choose to get supports and services from unregistered providers.
If you’re planning to hire an unregistered provider, you’re encouraged to check that their workers have completed an NDIS Worker Screening Check.
You’ll need to apply for access to the NDIS Worker Screening Database to search for workers.
The NDIS Commission has developed a human rights guidance paper and human rights guidance poster that describes:
See the:
In August 2024, the NDIS Commission’s Regulatory approach was updated to include our human rights duties and action statements.
From 1 November 2025, the Support at Home program will replace the Home Care Packages (HCP) program and the Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) program. Access information and resources about the Support at Home program.
From 1 November 2025, the Support at Home program will replace the Home Care Packages (HCP) program and the Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) program.
The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) will not move to Support at Home until 1 July 2027.
Support at Home will help older people to:
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (the department) will lead Support at Home.
The Commission will protect the rights of older people who receive Support at Home. We’ll do this through our regulatory activities.
We hold providers, responsible persons and workers accountable for meeting their obligations. We expect Support at Home care to be safe, respectful and delivered in a way that upholds your rights.
If you have concerns about your care and services, you should let your provider know. If you’ve tried to do that or you feel uncomfortable about telling them, you can contact us.
Under the new Aged Care Act, providers must:
Older people using Support at Home will also have access to 3 short-term pathways to help them stay at home longer:
Through the new AT-HM scheme, you can receive funding to help you get the products, equipment and home modifications you need, to help you keep living at home. This funding is based on your assessment. It doesn’t come out of your ongoing Support at Home budget.
The Restorative Care Pathway provides short-term funding for intensive allied health or nursing. You can use this service to help you get back or keep your day-to-day functioning and prevent decline. This pathway replaces the STRC programme.
The End-of-Life Pathway provides more care and services for older people who have 3 months or less to live and want to stay in their home.
You can find out more about Support at Home at My Aged Care.
Access information and resources for caring for First Nations older people.
The Commission is committed to making sure quality, culturally appropriate and safe aged care is delivered to First Nations older people.
In 2024, we began working with First Nations stakeholders and communities to develop a dedicated First Nations communications and engagement strategy and new resources to support First Nations providers, workers, older people and their communities. This recognises that there are unique considerations when providing aged care for First Nations people.
For specific information, please click through to our dedicated pages for:
The following organisations have helped develop and inform the resources.
The Commission thanks these organisations for their time, support and input.
You can contribute to the information we provide about aged care for First Nations people.
Your input supports the Commission in making sure First Nations people are getting quality, culturally appropriate and safe aged care.
If you are interested in being a part of the ongoing First Nations communications project and want to contribute to the development of resources, please contact us on [email protected] at any time.
We commissioned this artwork in 2024 to help share the journey of how the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission improves the safety, health; wellbeing and quality of life of First Nations people receiving aged care services.
Chern’ee Sutton is a proud Kalkadoon woman and Aboriginal artist from the emu foot province around the Mount Isa area in North West Queensland.
Read case studies to learn about the new Aged Care Act and how it is being applied through real-life examples.
Watch this space as we will be adding case studies in the lead up to and after the introduction of the new Aged Care Act. The purpose will be to demonstrate through practical, real-world examples how key elements of the new Act will be applied and experienced by older people, providers and workers.
Understand the role of registered supporters and their duties under the new Aged Care Act.
Under the new Act, older people will be able to register a supporter. A registered supporter is someone an older person trusts – like a family member or friend – who formally helps them make and communicate their own decisions about the aged care they receive. Older people can have more than one registered supporter.
Having a registered supporter does not prevent an older person from making and communicating decisions about their aged care on their own. Aged care providers must continue to go directly to the older person for decisions, even when they have a registered supporter.
Not every older person will want or need a registered supporter. Some older people might feel they are already supported by their family, carers and other significant people in their lives to make their own decisions, without needing them to become registered supporters.
Supporter duties
A registered supporter may:
Some registered supporters also have guardianship, enduring power of attorney or similar legal authority. These people are appointed decision makers for the older person and can make decisions on behalf of the older person under Commonwealth, state or territory arrangements. An appointed decision maker can only make decisions on the older person’s behalf in line with their active, legal authority.
Becoming a registered supporter does not provide a person with decision-making authority for the older person. A registered supporter’s role is to support the older person to make their own decisions.
For more information visit Supported decision-making under the new Aged Care Act.
