The Thriving Kids Program in Canberra

Planning is underway to shape how Thriving Kids services will be delivered across Canberra.

From October 2026, the ACT Government will begin to provide new Thriving Kids services for children and their families and carers. The services are for children who are aged 0 to 8, with developmental delay or autism and with low to moderate support needs.

We are working closely with the Australian Government and community partners to get ready for this new program.

Thriving Kids will help give children the best start in life. Children with additional developmental needs will get the right help early, when it can have the biggest impact.

As part of national reforms, the way some children access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is changing. This means some children with low to moderate support needs will get  support through the new Thriving Kids program instead.

Children with high needs will continue to access supports through the NDIS.

About Thriving Kids

Children do not need a diagnosis to get support through Thriving Kids.

Thriving Kids will offer:

• services for children aged 0-8 who permanently reside in the ACT
• supports for their parents, carers or kin, like grandparents or other family members.

We want to make sure the new Thriving Kids services are:

• accessible and easy to use
• designed for Canberra families
• available when support is needed.

The program will strengthen existing services and introduce new ones where gaps exist.

Supports will be designed to:

• work with government and community supports
• use research and lived experience
• provide clear and easy‑to‑understand information
• be delivered in local and familiar places
• support children as early as possible
• respond to children’s changing needs as they grow.

Planned services

Thriving Kids supports and services will follow clear principles. They will be based on evidence, affirm neurodiversity, focus on children and families, and build on strengths.

They will also be responsive to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

In the ACT, we will deliver Thriving Kids services in different ways to better meet the needs of different families, including:

• face‑to‑face (in person)
• in group programs
• online (virtual).

Services will be offered in different locations across Canberra, close to where families live, work and play.

Support may include:

• playgroups
• peer support and social support groups for children
• therapy and developmental support
• help to understand what services are available and how to get them.

The timeline

Thriving Kids in the ACT will be rolled out in stages. Children and families who permanently reside in the ACT will be able to get some services from 1 October 2026. All services are expected to be fully available by 1 January 2028.

We are developing the range of supports now. The first focus will be on government‑run services, with more services added over time.

Why we need Thriving Kids

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.

Changes to NDIS access will begin from 1 January 2028 and will be limited to children aged 0 to 8 with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs.

Reviews of the NDIS found that:

• many children do not get help early enough
• support is often based on a diagnosis instead of what a child needs
• many children who are not in the NDIS cannot get support at all.

Research shows that early support helps children:

• learn new skills
• reduce delays in their development
• take part in everyday activities like school and play.

Community feedback has told the government that services should be:

• culturally safe
• easy to understand
• easy to access
• well connected to other services
• welcoming to families
• supportive of parent and carer connections.

Accessible services

Thriving Kids will:

• offer translation and interpreting services for families who speak languages other than English
• work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to make sure services are culturally appropriate, respectful and effective.

Community engagement

The ACT Government will design and deliver Thriving Kids in 3 stages, with families and community organisations involved throughout.

We will work on the design with:

• families and carers
• community organisations
• other ACT Government areas.

The 3 stages are:

• to agree the ACT Implementation Plan (from now to 31 May 2026)
• to design individual services (June 2026 to December 2027)
• to build a connected system of supports (ongoing).

What we heard

In March and April 2026, we heard from families, parents, carers, kin and people who work with children to help shape the Thriving Kids program.

We heard from people from the disability, early childhood and community sectors. They shared their ideas and lived experience. We heard about what works well, what needs fixing, and how to better support children and families.

Themes

• Families as experts: Families help make decisions. They share their knowledge.
• Services work together: Services work closely together so families can move easily between mainstream services, Thriving Kids and the NDIS.
• Services for families: Services should help all family members. It's not only about helping children.
• Flexible, local supports: Services offer flexible supports that can be used easily. They're based in the community.
• Warm referrals: Trusted local organisations guide families. They show them the right services and help explain their options.

We thank everyone who shared their time and ideas to help shape Thriving Kids

Funding

The ACT will get around $63.4 million over 5 years to support this program. This is $12.68 million each year. To get the most from this funding, we will make sure:

• services work well together
• services are based on strong evidence
• we listen to feedback from families.

Easy Read format

Read about Thriving Kids in Canberra in Easy Read.

Contact us

For more information contact: disabilityreform@act.gov.au

Related information

Visit Health, Disability and Ageing at the Australian Government to read the Thriving Kids Advisory group final report.