Getting Thriving Kids right: Insights and recommendations from the AHEAD and RAY policy forum

From mid-2026, a new program called Thriving Kids is expected to divert children aged 0-8 years with developmental delay or autism and mild-to-moderate support needs away from NDIS supports and into foundational supports. Foundational supports aim to fill gaps in available community supports outside the NDIS. They will be delivered through mainstream services, communities and early support programs and be available to all people with disability. In October 2025, AHEAD and RAY convened a policy forum with 35 representatives from a range of organisations (e.g. disability representative organisations, disabled people’s organisations, peak professional bodies, academics) to discuss key considerations for the design of the Thriving Kids program. Discussions in the policy forum centred on three main questions. 1. a) What are the important design considerations for Thriving Kids? b) What additional evidence or information is needed to design Thriving Kids? 2. What are the potential intended and unintended consequences of this program, and how might these be enhanced or mitigated? 3. How should Thriving Kids be implemented, and what factors are necessary for its success? What do we need to collect or monitor to know if Thriving Kids is working or to provide evidence to modify the program so it continues to improve? This report sets out the discussions in relation to the three questions and makes a set of recommendations stemming from these to inform the design and implementation of Thriving Kids.