The Developing Child Plan is a national program for kids aged eight and under who're assessed as having low to moderate support needs.
There is an idea Move those kids Out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and in the brand new programme, its first services are expected from July 2026.
The final design of this system, which is to be received A billion 2 billion Funded by the Commonwealth for greater than five years, Still inhabited With States and Territories.
Now a New survey Parents and caregivers have strong ideas about methods to design for thriving children.
We asked parents and caregivers
Many parents and carers of kids with disabilities and the broader disability community Criticism has been made Declaration of Children's Thriving Children. Some feared that by moving out of NDI and right into a latest program, children might miss out on vital support at a critical point of their development.
Every week after announcing the youngsters thriving in August 2025, Disability Australia's children and young peoplethe height organization representing the rights and interests of kids and youth with disabilities, conducted a national online survey.
The survey asked which families use what now, what they would want under thriving children, how often they'd use it, and the way they felt concerning the proposal. We analyzed and helped interpret the outcomes.
There were 1,535 responses. This article focuses on 1,235 responses from children and young people, and their parents and carers.
91% of them were parents or carers, most caring for a toddler aged nine or under. Among those that identified a disability, 81% reported autism and 60% ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), often together.
respondents told us.
1. Families want continuity and clear guarantees
Respondents sought to guard that no child can be worse off by moving toward thriving children. They wanted a single point of access and little red tape. They also desired to keep trusted clinicians through the transition between thriving children and NDI. As one parent said:
My children will [lose] The vital people they've taken for a very long time […] time [to] know He […] Trust them and truly help our kids.
So thriving children have to have “no-while-off” reservations in writing, and keep current therapists where the connection is working. The path beyond adolescence must be clear and smooth.
2. Design it with lived experience
Families were clear that language and practice were vital, and that folks with disabilities would must design this system from the start, not be consulted after the actual fact. One person said:
This program will not be evidence-based and was not designed in collaboration with families. Shouldn't now we have the appropriate to say what works for our kids?
This means not only in messaging, but in governance, safeguards and assessment, designing for kids developing with the lived experience of disability and their families and carers.
3 Support have to be neuro-verified
Respondents asked for help that respects neurotypical practices and avoids practices that masquerade or “pass” as neurotypical. Many caregivers are not looking for autistic children to take part in therapy and groups based on competition.Applied Behavior AnalysisOne parent said:
I don't need her disability to be ‘trained out of' or encouraged to mask.
Therefore, developing children have to publish protectors that exclude practices that conform to neurotypical standards.
4. A large mix works best in flexible settings
Primary allied health sits at the center of what people seek – occupational therapy, speech pathology, psychology and physiotherapy. They also called for peer networks, parenting programs, skill groups, assistive technology and support for kids Can't go to school (referred to as School Answers).
Families want it where children live and learn. As one parent said:
Teachers need higher educational programs to handle children with disabilities. I waste [NDIS] Funding to show teachers methods to handle autistic children and the way to not be a part of the issue.
So thriving children need a broad, flexible menu of supports that help children participate and feel protected – at home, in early education, in school and locally.
This includes embedding early learning and allied health in schools and adjusting schools to educate staff and adjust environments, while homeschooling and attending one-to-one therapy and out-of-school options for college kids.
5. Resources for Equity
There is less access to support and services in regional and distant areas and for First Nations, multicultural and LGBTIQ+ families. Waiting lists are long, travel is pricey and the alternatives are slim.
One parent said:
In the country, physicians are nowhere to be embedded.
Families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds also asked for interpreters, translated plain language materials, and options to decide on the gender of their therapist.
Therefore, there's a have to earn services in regional areas with access and telehealth to thriving children. It needs to speculate in culturally protected models, including interpreters and bilingual therapists. It also requires families to coach and support schools for gratis.
What next?
If thriving children deliver on these priorities, it may potentially improve services for kids with disabilities and their families.
If it doesn't, the family might be left to navigate one other complex system while the needs go unmet.
Families, children and young people told us consistently, what help can be. The task now's to construct thriving children with them and guarantee that no child is worse off.