NDIS Reforms Explained: Thriving Kids, Plan Updates and What They Mean for You and Your Family

Quick, Clear Summary of the NDIS Changes

• “Thriving Kids” rollout: Starting 1 July 2026, children with mild to moderate autism or developmental delay are expected to transition from NDIS to a new, $2 billion foundational supports initiative called Thriving Kids, with full implementation expected by mid‑2027.
• Federal–state funding match: The federal government will contribute $2 billion, but states are expected to match that funding, part of a broader intergovernmental commitment.
• Why these changes? NDIS costs are ballooning: new participants — many with mild autism, are pushing annual growth near 11%. The goal is to slow that to ~5% and restore the NDIS’s focus on long‑term, significant disability needs.
• Protections for current participants: Existing NDIS participants in this category won’t be abruptly removed. Supports will continue until alternative services through Thriving Kids are in place.
• Other key reforms: From 19 May 2025, new and reassessed NDIS plans have shifted from annual lump‑sum funding to staggered funding periods (often quarterly), easing budgeting for participants and providers.
• Pricing updates hurting providers: Therapy service rates have dropped to about $10 less per hour, and travel reimbursements have been halved, particularly affecting rural and regional therapy providers.

What This Means for NDIS Participants: Now and Ahead

Right Now

• Families of children in the transition category feel unsettled. Many discovered changes on social media and are navigating confusion and fear—fearing loss of progress built through NDIS‑funded therapy.
• Budgeting is different. Quarterly fund releases may help manage cashflow—but they also require active monitoring of plan balances to avoid overspend.
• Therapists, especially in regional areas, are feeling the pressure. Lower rates and travel allowances mean fewer visits—or even fewer providers able to commit.

What’s Coming

• Thriving Kids must deliver before NDIS support is withdrawn. There’s broad concern—from quality services to seamless transitions—about whether the program will roll out quickly enough or with sufficient clarity.
• State-by-state variability looms large. With states expected to co-fund and deliver services, the risk of inconsistent access across jurisdictions is real.
• Administrative complexity may increase. Navigating between NDIS and foundational supports means more planning, coordination, and possibly advocacy from families and providers.
• Pressure on providers may persist or worsen without pricing reforms or rural support strategies.

Therapy Care’s Voice of Steady Intent: Compassionate, Strategic, Always

At Therapy Care, our commitment is simple and unwavering: A future in which every person with disability receives purposeful, timely support; delivered with dignity, expertise, and clarity.

1. We’ll help you understand what actually matters: We’ll cut through the noise—help you understand how these changes affect your supports, plan timelines, and therapy goals.
2. We’ll bridge transitions—Not leave you stranded. Whether through NDIS or Thriving Kids, we’ll help maintain momentum for children’s progress.
3. We’ll advocate locally, relentlessly: We’re watching rollouts, state implementations, price settings. Wherever there’s gaps, we’ll fill them—by lobbying, escalating, or supporting.
4. We’ve got your back—with certainty and support: From unpacking NDIS plan funds to finding and keeping trusted therapy providers, we’ll walk that path with you.
5. We act from a place of respect: These are not policy decisions—they affect lives every day. We champion supports that work, that achieve real outcomes—not just cost management.

What You Can Do and How Therapy Care Helps

At Therapy Care, we don’t just respond to change—we act strategically, compassionately, and without compromise. You’ve built trust with us; we’ll hold the system to that same standard. Because people living with disability deserve nothing less.