Will the New Thriving Kids Program Truly Meet the Needs of Australia’s Children?
Australia’s new Thriving Kids program aims to transform how developmental delay and disability are addressed in early childhood. With a promised $2 billion investment over five years starting in 2026, it’s an ambitious reform focusing on children aged eight and under with low to moderate support needs. But can a single national system truly meet the complex, individual needs of children and families? As professionals in care management, health, and allied health, we at ICM are asking: will Thriving Kids achieve the balance between accessibility, quality, and sustainability—or will it risk becoming another layer of bureaucracy?
A National System for Developmental Support: A Step Forward or a Broad Brush?
The government’s goal is a coordinated system that offers earlier identification and consistent support for developmental concerns. That ambition is commendable, but what does “national system” mean in practice? Will a standardised model risk overlooking regional and cultural differences, especially in rural or Indigenous communities? How will the program ensure that families don’t face longer waits due to limited workforce capacity or uneven rollout between states? Could smaller community providers lose funding or visibility as centralised frameworks take shape? ICM’s perspective is that success will depend on local adaptability—not just policy design from Canberra.
Early Intervention: Is the Workforce Ready?
The program promises earlier identification of developmental issues. That’s vital, but are frontline workers equipped for this change? Many child development concerns are first identified by early educators, GPs, and allied health professionals. Yet training and awareness levels differ widely across professions and jurisdictions. Are existing professionals receiving enough support to identify subtle developmental delays? Will new training pipelines be created for early-childhood allied-health specialists? How will these initiatives integrate with existing systems like NDIS early-childhood approaches? At ICM, we believe the workforce capability gap must be addressed before the program’s full rollout. Professional learning in early development, family-centred practice, and neurodiversity will be critical.
Funding and Access: Will $2 Billion Be Enough?
A $2 billion investment sounds substantial, but spread over five years and across the entire country, is it enough to deliver lasting change? How will funding be distributed—by population, need, or state partnerships? Will low- to moderate-needs children compete with higher-needs cases for the same pool of resources? And crucially, will families who sit just outside eligibility criteria fall through the cracks? True system reform demands long-term funding certainty, not just initial investment. Without that, early gains could quickly erode.
Coordination Across Systems: Ideal or Impractical?
The Thriving Kids design involves joint delivery between Commonwealth, state, and territory governments. Inter-jurisdictional cooperation is ideal in theory—but historically, such arrangements have proven difficult. How will overlapping responsibilities between education, health, and disability sectors be managed? Who will be accountable when services fail to coordinate? Could bureaucratic overlap create confusion for families trying to navigate support options? ICM’s concern is that without clear governance and accountability, the program risks being hindered by complexity rather than empowered by collaboration.
What It Means for Managers and Allied Health Providers
For care managers, health service leaders, and allied health professionals, this reform presents both opportunity and challenge. How can organisations realign their service models to meet the needs of younger children earlier? What leadership and compliance systems will be required to integrate with new referral pathways? Can smaller providers remain viable as the system transitions toward centralised commissioning and funding models? ICM encourages every organisation to critically assess readiness—from workforce competence to data collection systems—well before the 2026 launch.
Preparing Through Professional Development
At ICM, we see capability development as central to success. However, professional training must go beyond compliance checklists. It should ask deeper questions: what does quality early intervention look like for children with mild or moderate developmental challenges? How can services ensure culturally safe and inclusive practice? How can data and evaluation be used to improve—not just report—outcomes? Our professional certifications in governance, leadership, and developmental practice are designed to help organisations explore these questions in practical, evidence-based ways.
Conclusion: Hopeful Reform, or Another Missed Opportunity?
The Thriving Kids program represents genuine hope for earlier, fairer support for children. But hope alone won’t deliver outcomes. The key question for every leader in health, education, and community care is this: will this program empower families and professionals—or will it simply reorganise existing challenges under a new name? At the Institute of Care Management, we’ll continue to watch the rollout closely and help the sector build the skills and systems needed to make sure every child truly thrives.
Reference: Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, “Thriving Kids,” accessed 25 October 2025, https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/thriving-kids