Understanding the NDIS Reforms: What Families Need to Know About Thriving Kids

If you're a parent of a young child with autism or a developmental delay, you've probably seen the headlines about NDIS reforms and felt your stomach drop a little. Words like "145,000 Australians will lose support" are enough to worry anyone, especially when you're already juggling therapy appointments, school meetings, and the everyday work of raising a child who needs a bit of extra help.

We get a lot of questions from families and support coordinators about what these changes actually mean day to day. So let's slow down and go through it properly: what's changing, who it affects, and what you can do to prepare.

What Are the NDIS Reforms, Really?

The Australian Government, along with state and territory governments, has agreed to a significant restructure of how the NDIS works. The changes are being introduced gradually between 2026 and 2030, and they're built around a simple idea: keep the NDIS for people with permanent and significant disability, while building a new system of support outside the Scheme for people with lower support needs.

That new system outside the NDIS is called Foundational Supports. The first phase of it, aimed specifically at younger children, is called Thriving Kids.

In plain terms, Thriving Kids is a $4 billion program, jointly funded by the Commonwealth and the states, designed to give children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism (at low to moderate support needs) access to help through community based services rather than through an individual NDIS plan. Children with higher support needs, or with a permanent and significant disability, stay on the NDIS as they are now.

What This Means in Real Life

For a lot of families, this shift will feel unsettling, even if their child ends up fine under the new arrangements. Here's how it's likely to play out.

1. If your child has high support needs

Nothing changes for you in terms of eligibility. Children with permanent and significant disability, including autism with high support needs, remain eligible for the NDIS under the usual arrangements.

2. If your child is aged 8 or under with low to moderate support needs.

From 1 October 2026, new access into Thriving Kids services will start rolling out, with full implementation expected by 1 January 2028. Access to Thriving Kids isn't based on a diagnosis. It's based on your child's developmental support needs, which is a genuine shift away from the "get a diagnosis, get a plan" pathway many families are used to.

3. If your child is already on the NDIS.

If your child is under 9 and already has a plan before 1 January 2028, they'll be reassessed under the eligibility rules that were in place before that date. That's an important protection worth knowing about if you're feeling anxious about a sudden loss of support.

The government's own language on this describes Thriving Kids as being about earlier help, delivered through everyday settings like health services, early childhood education, and schools, rather than waiting on a formal diagnosis before support kicks in.

Making Sense of the Numbers

You may have seen figures ranging from 145,000 to over 160,000 Australians potentially losing NDIS access as these reforms roll out. It's worth understanding where those numbers come from and why they vary.

The reforms are projected to significantly slow the NDIS's spending growth, with budget papers pointing to tens of billions of dollars in savings over the coming years. Some of that saving comes from tighter access rules for new participants. Some comes from moving existing low needs participants across to Foundational Supports over time. Different outlets and advocacy groups are measuring different slices of that shift, which is why the headline numbers don't always match up exactly.

What matters more than the exact figure is understanding which group you or your child fall into, and what the transition arrangements mean for you specifically.

Working Through the Transition

Change like this is hard to sit with, especially when a system you've come to rely on is being restructured while your child still needs support today. A few things can help.

- Keep your current allied health reports and assessments up to date. Whether you stay on the NDIS or move across to Thriving Kids, solid documentation of your child's day to day needs will matter.

- Talk to your support coordinator or plan manager early. They'll have visibility into how the transition applies to your specific plan and timeline.

- Expect more detail to be released gradually rather than all at once. Governments have said that specific service information for Thriving Kids will be shared closer to when supports commence in each state and territory.

It's completely normal to feel like you're waiting on information that hasn't arrived yet. Try not to make big decisions based on headlines alone. The formal notifications from the NDIA and your state health department are the ones that will actually affect your plan.

A Few Things Worth Keeping in Mind

These reforms involve legislative changes that are still being finalised, and consultation on several elements, including how allied health therapies will be defined under the new planning framework, is ongoing through 2026. That means some details could still shift before they're locked in.

This article is general information only, not personalised advice about your child's NDIS plan or eligibility. If you're unsure how these changes affect your family, your support coordinator, NDIA planner, or the NDIS contact centre are the right people to speak with directly.

Getting the Right Support Through the Transition

Whatever stage your family is at, having the right equipment and daily living aids at home doesn't need to wait on a plan review. At Platinum Health Supply, we work with families and support coordinators to make sure the practical side of things, mobility aids, sensory supports, and everyday consumables, stays consistent even while the bigger system is in flux. If you're not sure what's currently funded under your plan or how a change in support type might affect what you can order, our team is happy to talk it through with you.

Moving Forward With a Bit More Clarity

Reforms like this can feel overwhelming from the outside, but the core intent is to make sure children get support earlier and that the NDIS remains sustainable for the people who need it most long term. If your child has high support needs, the protections in place mean you're not likely to see sudden changes. If your child is younger with lower support needs, there's a genuine transition period ahead, with reassessment protections built in along the way.

Take it one step at a time. Keep your documentation current, stay in touch with your coordinator, and lean on trusted sources like the NDIS website rather than headlines alone. You don't have to have it all figured out today. The support is still there, it's just changing shape.