Health Minister Mark Butler has released new plan for Labor’s ‘Thriving Kids’ initiative

Health Minister Mark Butler has released the plan for Labor’s “Thriving Kids” initiative — a proposed alternative to the NDIS for children with mild to moderate developmental delays or autism.

The program was announced by the Labor frontbencher as a solution to the ballooning NDIS during a National Press Club address on August 20, which had surprised some states and industry professionals.

Speaking in Canberra on Tuesday, Mr Butler said just five months on the advisory group examining the initiative had handled down their final report and developed a model of care.

The proposed model of care is broken down into four parts: Identification pathways, providing key information, parental supports and then targeted care.

Mr Butler said it was about “getting the NDIS back on track”.

“The first pillar is to raise awareness and early identification on children with developmental issues,” he said.

“The second is to provide ready access to information, advice, and navigation for parents in particular. The third is to build the skills of parents. We know parents are a child’s most important teacher and support, particularly in those early years of life.

“The fourth pillar is to provide access to targeted support for children and parents who need it. Those targeted supports will be provided by trained workers, usually allied health professionals, like speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and the like.

“All of this will be over seen by a range of guiding principles.”

The model of care was endorsed by all state and territories at the National Cabinet Meeting in Sydney on Friday and officially signed an agreement over foundational supports on Monday.

Premiers and chief ministers also agreed to a funding spilt, with the federal government slated to provide an initial $2 billion with another $2 billion matched by states and territories.

Initially, however, the federal government will be required to cough up at least $1.4bn of the $2bn commitment directly to states and territories.

Each jurisdiction will be able to negotiate on the overarching principles, with funding expected to flow though by February 20 once the bilateral agreements are concluded.

The full Thriving Kids program will be implemented by January 2028, at which point NDIS eligibility will change to ensure children with mild to moderate autism stop accessing the scheme going forwards.

The program will begin rolling out from October 2026 after it was delayed from its original July start following a request from the states for more time to prepare.

It’s anticipated the full Thriving Kids program will be implemented by January 2028.