Thriving Kids & Foundational Supports: a provider's guide
A $4 billion early-childhood program is launching outside the NDIS in October 2026. If you work with children under 9, here's what's changing and how to be ready on day one.
What is Thriving Kids?
Thriving Kids is Phase 1 of the National Agreement on Foundational Supports (commenced 2 February 2026). It's a jointly funded Commonwealth–state program providing early supports to children aged 0–8 with developmental delay or autism whose needs are low to moderate - children who, under the old rules, were going onto NDIS individual plans.
$4 billion is committed ($2bn Commonwealth, $2bn states), live from 1 October 2026, fully rolled out by 1 January 2028.
Who's eligible
- Children aged 8 and under.
- Developmental concerns, developmental delay or autism.
- Low to moderate support needs (children with significant disability stay in the NDIS).
- No diagnosis required to access early help.
Who can deliver it
Providers don't need NDIS registration. The framework is designed to bring in early childhood educators, allied health professionals, community health services, parent coaches and developmental clinicians who were previously locked out by NDIS administrative overhead.
State governments are finalising provider onboarding through 2026. NSW, Victoria, Queensland and WA are publishing draft frameworks first.
What documentation will be required
Final templates aren't published yet, but the agreement signals a family-centred, outcomes-based model rather than NDIS-style hourly billing. Expect to need:
- Developmental outcome tracking (ASQ-3, PEDS or equivalent at intake, mid-point, exit).
- Family coaching session notes.
- Referral and pathway tracking (when a child needs to step up to NDIS).
- State-specific outcome reporting.
Why it matters for the sector
Two things make this enormous:
- It's a brand-new market. Every existing NDIS practice management tool was built for PACE, hourly support items and individual plans. None of that applies here.
- The funding pool is fixed and capped per state. Providers who are ready on day one will capture caseloads that take years to dislodge.
How CareLogging is preparing
We're building a Thriving Kids template pack for providers - outcome trackers, family coaching note templates and pathway logging - ready to go live in September 2026. If you'd like to be on the early access list, sign up below and we'll let you know when it's available.
This page is a summary, not legal or government advice. Final program details are being finalised by the Commonwealth and state governments through 2026.