The long-awaited Advisory Group report on Thriving Kids has been released, with a focus on getting kids access to support as soon as possible rather than waiting for a diagnosis.
Kids under nine years old with low-to-moderate support needs will no longer need a formal diagnosis in order to access the support they need.
The long-awaited Thriving Kids Advisory Group report, released today, outlined a major shift in how children with developmental delay and autism will access early support.
The model moves away from diagnosis-led systems, instead focusing on needs-based support delivered in community settings.
Co-chaired by paediatrician Professor Frank Oberklaid and endorsed by national cabinet, the advisory group reviewed evidence for best practice and consulted with a broad range of professionals across a range of disciplines.
Thriving Kids is designed for children aged under 9 who have developmental delay and/or autism, with low-to-moderate support needs. The goal is to provide support separately to the NDIS with the hope that it helps reduce the growth of the $50 billion a year disability support scheme.
A model based on getting support
Professor Oberklaid said key to the model is moving away from diagnosis to support.
“Many children just need a bit of support over six or 12 months in order to thrive, and their parents need support,” Professor Oberklaid said.
“In the Thriving Kids approach, we took a local settings approach where the children go, in order to be supported.”
A key part of this is taking away the requirement for a formal diagnosis to get help.
Federal health minister Mark Butler said this morning:
“The thing people have complained most about the operation of the NDIS for this cohort is the time it takes to get a diagnosis, the need for a formal diagnosis, which can take years to access and cost thousands of dollars before parents are given any support for their children.
“[Thriving Kids] will be easy to access.
“It won’t require a formal diagnosis and those supports, importantly, will be child and family-centred, they will be available where children and their parents live and learn and play,” he said.
Professor Oberklaid said the NDIS focuses on needing a diagnosis then a therapist to “fix the child”.
“That’s not how paediatrics works,” he said.
“We need to understand what the family needs. Do the parents understand this condition? Do they know how best to support the child? In the Thriving Kids approach, we took what we call a settings approach, where do children go in order to be supported?”
The key principles
The proposed national model centres around six key principles. They include:
- identifying children with developmental delay as early as possible;
- connecting children and families with supports, matched to their level of need, to best support their child’s early development;
- offering supports that are child and family centred, informed by evidence and focused on outcomes;
- supports are delivered in everyday settings, where they live, learn and play;
- supports are empowering, connected to service systems families already trust and are easy to navigate;
- acknowledging that children’s needs are not linear and can change over time.
While supports will be based on a child’s needs, strengths and support needs, “Thriving Kids is not providing a ‘individualised package’ with a budget”, the report said.
“Families will not be provided with funding they need to manage or use to access supports. Instead, families will be connected with supports based on their child’s development support needs.”
The model of care has four pillars.
The first is to raise awareness and early identification of children with developmental issues, followed by providing access to information, advice, and navigation, particularly for parents.
The third pillar is to build the skills of parents, Mr Butler explained.
“We know parents are a child’s most important teacher and support, particularly in those early years of life,” he said.
Related
“We want to do everything we can to build the skills, the capability and the confidence of parents to give their children every level of support that they can, but also to connect parents with other parents who are experiencing similar issues.”
The fourth pillar is to provide access to targeted support for children and parents who need it.
“Those targeted supports will be provided by trained workers, usually allied health professionals like speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and the like,” said Mr Butler.
Advocacy groups ‘cautiously optimistic’
Nicole Rogerson, CEO of peak autism body Autism Association of Australia said while she welcomed the report, it raised important questions about how it will actually work on the ground.
“This is an enormous piece of national reform, and the risks identified in the report are real. Workforce capacity will make or break Thriving Kids,” she said.
Particular attention must be paid to schools and the early childhood education and care sector, she said.
“We already know inclusion is inconsistent and often poor in many schools and early childhood settings, and there is currently limited specialist capability within ECEC to take on this role at scale. Without serious investment in workforce development, Thriving Kids risks placing unrealistic expectations on systems that are already under strain.”
Sylvana Mahmic, CEO of Plumtree Children’s Services said on LinkedIn that one of the most encouraging elements of the announcement was the recognition that parents also benefited from peer support. She said this model acknowledged the experience of parents themselves, which was significant.
“It reflects an understanding that families often make sense of complex information, choices, and change through connection with others who have lived similar experiences. Shared understanding, reassurance, and perspective can ease isolation and help parents recognise their own strengths, in ways formal services alone often cannot,” she wrote.
Non-government peak body SNAICC – National Voice for our Children works for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. In a statement on LinkedIn, it welcomed the release of the report and the voices and views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families that helped inform its findings.
“The report highlights the critical role of Aboriginal community-controlled services in delivering assessments and supports to Thriving Kids, especially in trusted early education and care settings.
“Future work on the Thriving Kids model must be co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services and communities, to ensure models and services meet the needs of our children and families,” SNAICC wrote.
Rollout to be the responsibility of the states
Although half of the funding will come from the Commonwealth, the rollout will be the responsibility of the states.
“We won’t be funding services directly. We’ll be providing that money to states,” Mr Butler said.
“Overarching principles (in the Thriving Kids report) will now be the subject of negotiation with each state and territory government so that we can conclude bilateral agreements with them to see funds flow to them by 20 February.
“We’re aiming to wrap up all of those bilateral schedules or bilateral agreements with every state and territory government before South Australia goes into caretaker later in February.”
As reported on Friday, the rollout will now start on 1 October this year to give states and territories enough time to implement. Full implementation will be by 1 January 2028.
Children with permanent and significant disability including those with developmental delay and/or autism with high support needs, will continue to be eligible for the NDIS.
