Thriving Kids vs the NDIS: What is Changing for Young Children
The part of these reforms that worries families most is the change to NDIS access for young children. It is worth setting out carefully, because it is easy to hear the headline and miss the detail that actually matters: this is announced policy that depends on new laws, it is staged in time, and it does not decide any individual child’s access. This article walks through what is changing and what is not.
What is announced
The government has said that as Thriving Kids comes online, NDIS access for young children with lower support needs will change.
As announced, 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. These changes require amendments to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013. As of 2026-05-13 · Thriving Kids - Department of Health, Disability and AgeingThe single most important word there is announced. This is a stated direction that requires amendments to the law before it applies to anyone, so nothing about it changes what a family can do today.
The timing
The change is sequenced against the Thriving Kids rollout, on purpose.
Thriving Kids will commence rollout of state services from 1 October 2026 and is expected to be at scale from 1 January 2028. As of 2026-05-13 · Thriving Kids - Department of Health, Disability and AgeingReading the two together, the intent is that state services exist before access changes, so a young child moving out of the NDIS pathway has somewhere to go. The design tries to avoid a gap between systems, though how smoothly that works in practice will only be clear as the rollout happens.
What stays the same
Two things are stated to hold steady. Children with permanent and significant disability, and young children whose functional capacity is substantially reduced, are stated to remain eligible for the NDIS under the usual arrangements. And for children already enrolled before the change, the announcement describes a reassessment against the criteria in place before that date, rather than an automatic removal.
Both of those still run through the NDIA. Whether a specific child meets the description for staying on the scheme, or what a reassessment concludes, is a decision the agency makes on the evidence, not one that can be read off a policy summary.
What a family can do
The practical takeaway is calm rather than urgent. Because the change is not law and is staged, the sensible steps are the ordinary ones: understand the NDIS early childhood approach that operates now, keep good evidence of a child’s needs, and watch the official source for the detail as it firms up. The Thriving Kids page carries the current position, and it is the place to check before acting on anything in this article.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the NDIS access change already law?
- No. It is announced government policy, and it requires amendments to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 before it takes effect. Until those laws pass and commence, the change is a stated direction rather than a rule that applies to a child today.
- What happens to children already on the NDIS?
- The announcement states that young children enrolled before the change, with developmental delay or autism and lower support needs, would be reassessed under the criteria in place before the change. Any reassessment outcome is a decision for the NDIA, made case by case.
- Who stays on the NDIS?
- Children with permanent and significant disability, and young children with autism or developmental delay whose functional capacity is substantially reduced, are stated to remain eligible under the usual arrangements. Whether an individual child meets that description is decided by the NDIA.
Related tools
Eligibility Criteria Walkthrough
The NDIA's published access criteria, step by step, with links to the application process.
Plan Benchmark
Average plan budgets and support mix for your age group, disability group, and region - from official NDIA data.
Plan Management Quiz
Self-managed, plan-managed, and agency-managed - how each works, side by side.
Related articles
Autism & Early Childhood Support in Australia: A Plain-English Map
How support for Autistic children and children with developmental delay works in Australia - the NDIS early childhood approach and the Thriving Kids reforms.
What is Thriving Kids? The New Early Support Program Explained
Thriving Kids is the first phase of Foundational Supports for young children with developmental delay or autism. What it is, who it is for, and when it arrives.
What are Foundational Supports? The Supports Outside the NDIS
Foundational Supports are a new tier of disability support outside the NDIS. What general and targeted supports mean, and how Thriving Kids fits in.
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Written by
Lion Med Supplies EditorialLion Med Supplies Editorial Team
Lion Med Supplies's editorial team researches and produces independent comparison content for Australian homeowners. All content is built from primary sources - manufacturer spec sheets, government program documentation, and installer pricing surveys - and reviewed for factual accuracy before publication.