Thriving Kids: Phased rollout commences 1 October 2026
12 Oct 2026
From 1 October 2026, the Australian Government and participating states and territories will begin the phased rollout of Thriving Kids, a new program supporting children aged eight and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs.
The program will introduce additional early intervention and community-based supports, including allied health services, with full implementation planned for 1 January 2028. Services will be introduced progressively, with arrangements varying between jurisdictions.
What does this mean for podiatrists?
While Thriving Kids is not specifically directed at podiatry, the introduction of new early intervention services may affect podiatrists working with children with developmental delay or disability.
Changes to referral pathways, funding arrangements and service delivery models may have implications for access to podiatry and continuity of care.
Importantly, existing NDIS access arrangements will remain unchanged until 1 January 2028.
Find information in your state or territory
APodA members are encouraged to monitor their state or territory's implementation arrangements. The following links provide jurisdiction-specific information:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
These links are also accessible through the Australian Government's state and territory information page.
Queensland update – 30 September 2026
As at 30 September 2026, Queensland has not announced a signed bilateral agreement with the Australian Government for Thriving Kids.
Queensland has agreed to the broader national commitments concerning foundational supports. However, its specific Thriving Kids implementation arrangements remain unresolved.
Queensland members are encouraged to monitor the national Thriving Kids website for further updates.
The APodA wants to hear from you
As Thriving Kids is introduced, APodA encourages members providing podiatry services to children and families affected by these reforms to share their experiences.
We are particularly interested in hearing about any changes to funding, referral pathways, service delivery, eligibility or continuity of care, including any unintended consequences for children and their families.
Your feedback will help inform APodA's ongoing advocacy and engagement with governments to ensure podiatry services are considered as the program develops.
Have you experienced changes affecting your patients or practice?
Please contact APodA at advocacy@podiatry.org.au.
Join the APodA’s dedicated Australian Paediatric Podiatry community
We encourage podiatrists who treat children’s foot and lower limb conditions to join the Australian Paediatric Podiatry (APP) special interest group (SIG).
Joining the APP SIG connects you with peers who share insights, support and expertise that help you deliver the best possible outcomes for children and families.
As an APP member you’ll also benefit from:
- An engaged professional community focused on paediatric practice.
- Dedicated resources tailored to best practice child-centred care.
- Discounted professional development opportunities.
- Access to our library of APP-focused webinar recordings covering best practice in paediatric assessment and intervention.
If this is of interest, please click here to learn more about joining the APodA as a member, and here for all the details about signing up to the APP SIG.