NDIS
Thriving Kids: will my child stay on the NDIS?
Written by the Hey Sprout team — pending clinician review
What the Thriving Kids changes mean for children already on the NDIS, who stays eligible after 1 January 2028, and what parents can do now.
Written by the Hey Sprout team — pending clinician review
Last updated 23 October 2026
General information with cited sources, not clinical advice. See the Hey Sprout editorial policy for how we write, update and correct pages.
Not before 2028. The government says children with permanent and significant disability or high support needs will remain eligible, though the thresholds haven't been published yet. There are no changes to NDIS access until 1 January 2028.[] Children aged 8 and under who are already on the NDIS before that date keep being reassessed under the current rules until they turn 9. Children with permanent and significant disability, or with developmental delay or autism and high support needs, remain eligible after 2028.[]
What has changed so far, and what hasn't
Thriving Kids began on 1 October 2026. Its first phase is mostly information and advice for families, and it will be rolled out in full by 1 January 2028.[] Starting Thriving Kids did not remove any child from the NDIS. The NDIS confirmed there would be no changes to access or eligibility until 1 January 2028.[]
A separate change did start on 1 October 2026. Improved daily living is the plan category that can fund therapies such as speech therapy and occupational therapy.[] Budgets for improved daily living skills supports are being reduced by 10% as plans are created, reassessed or renewed between 1 October 2026 and 30 September 2027.[] This changes how much is in a plan. It doesn't change whether a child is eligible.
The key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 October 2026 | Thriving Kids starts. The 10% reset to improved daily living skills budgets begins for new plans and reassessments.[] |
| 1 February 2027 | The reset also applies at plan renewals. Unspent funds stop rolling over into renewed plans.[] |
| 1 January 2028 | New NDIS access rules start. Thriving Kids is due to be fully rolled out. Current participants begin to be reassessed against the new criteria, progressively over 3 years.[] |
| Your child's 9th birthday, from 1 January 2028 | A child who joined the NDIS before 2028 is reassessed under the new functional capacity criteria.[] |
Who stays eligible for the NDIS
After 1 January 2028, these children remain eligible:[][]
- children with permanent and significant disability
- children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have substantially reduced functional capacity, which the government calls high support needs.
Children aged 8 and under who apply from 1 January 2028 with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs will not be eligible. They will be supported through Thriving Kids and mainstream services.[]
"Support needs" refers to a child's functional capacity, not a diagnosis.[] Access will be based on a standardised assessment of how disability affects day-to-day living. A Technical Advisory Group is advising on the thresholds and assessments, and they haven't been published yet.[] Any change to NDIS eligibility rules also needs the agreement of all states and territories.[]
If your child is already on the NDIS
The government's rule for current child participants is specific. Children aged 8 and under who are on the NDIS before 1 January 2028 continue to be reassessed under the eligibility criteria in place before that date. Once they turn 9, they are reassessed under the new functional capacity criteria.[]
Being "reassessed under the current criteria" isn't new. The NDIS already checks eligibility for children who joined under the early intervention requirements, regularly when it reviews the plan and at other times.[] The developmental delay pathway only applies to children younger than 6.[]
Today, an eligibility reassessment works like this:[]
- The NDIA tells you by letter what evidence it may need and what your rights are.
- You have 90 days from the letter to send information and evidence, and you can ask for more time.
- Your child can keep using the supports in their plan while the reassessment happens.
- If the NDIA finds your child is no longer eligible, you have 90 days to make final claims, and you can apply again later if things change.
The government says participants will get information well in advance of any reassessment under the new rules.[]
Plan reassessments are not eligibility reassessments
These two words cause a lot of worry, so it helps to keep them apart.
| Plan reassessment | Eligibility reassessment | |
|---|---|---|
| What it decides | The supports and budget in your child's plan | Whether your child is still an NDIS participant |
| Affected by the 10% reset? | Yes, between 1 October 2026 and 30 September 2027 | No |
| Can you ask for a review? | Not the reset itself, though other plan decisions can be reviewed[][] | Yes, a decision that your child is no longer eligible is reviewable[] |
If your child's plan isn't reassessed before it expires, it is extended automatically, so supports don't stop.[] From February 2027, the NDIA will instead renew the plan with the same supports. You can still ask for a plan change if your child's needs change in a significant and ongoing way. A funding reduction on its own doesn't count as that kind of change.[]
What you can do now
- Keep using your child's plan. Nothing about Thriving Kids requires you to stop therapy before 2028.
- Keep evidence current. The NDIS wants recent evidence from a treating health professional relevant to your child's primary disability. It should confirm the disability, describe its impact on different areas of life, and cover past and future treatment. Ideally it comes from someone who has treated your child for at least 6 months.[]
- Ask for written progress reports. Ask your child's therapists for reports at the end of each plan period, including goals, progress and what your child still needs help with.
- Keep one folder. Store the plan, NDIS letters, reports and assessments in one place, with dates.
- Read NDIS letters as soon as they arrive. Most steps have time limits, such as 90 days to return evidence for an eligibility reassessment and 3 months to ask for an internal review.[][]
- Use official sources for updates. Rely on ndis.gov.au and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, not social media or provider blogs.
Our guide to how the NDIS works covers plan basics, and what the NDIS covers explains therapy funding.
What isn't known yet
Some answers simply don't exist yet. The functional capacity thresholds are still being developed, and the government says it is working on the design and details of Thriving Kids with states and territories before changing NDIS laws.[] Be wary of anyone who says they know exactly which children will be found ineligible.
When to get help
If you get a letter you don't understand, contact your my NDIS contact, early childhood partner or local area coordinator, or call the NDIS on 1800 800 110.[] If you're worried about your child's development or wellbeing, see your GP or paediatrician. Starting support early is still worth it, as why early intervention matters explains.
For the basics, start with what Thriving Kids is. For therapy questions, see Thriving Kids and your child's therapy.
If you'd like to talk through therapy options for a plan-managed or self-managed plan, you can send Hey Sprout an enquiry.
Frequently asked questions
My child has level 2 autism. Will they lose NDIS funding in 2028?
A diagnosis or level does not decide it on its own. The new rules look at functional capacity, meaning how much your child's daily life is affected. If your child is 8 or under and already on the NDIS before 1 January 2028, they keep being reassessed under the current rules until they turn 9. The thresholds for the new assessment have not been published yet.
Can I still apply to the NDIS for my child before the rules change?
Yes. People keep applying to the NDIS in the same way until 1 January 2028. A child who applies before then is assessed under the current eligibility rules.
My child will already be 9 when the new rules start. What happens?
The special rule for children covers those aged 8 and under. From 1 January 2028, people already on the NDIS will be reassessed against the new criteria progressively over 3 years, and the government says participants will get information well before their reassessment.
Can I challenge a decision that my child is no longer eligible?
Yes. Ask the NDIA for an internal review within 3 months of receiving the decision. If you still disagree after the internal review, you have 28 days to ask the Administrative Review Tribunal for an external review.
Keep reading
NDIS goals for children: how to write them, with examples
How to write clear NDIS goals for your child, with worked examples for communication, daily living, play and school readiness, and how goals link to therapy funding.
Does the NDIS cover psychology for children?
When the NDIS funds a psychologist for your child, when Medicare and the health system pay instead, and how plan-managed and self-managed families use it.
Does ADHD qualify for the NDIS? An honest answer for parents
ADHD on its own often doesn't meet NDIS access rules. Here's when a child with ADHD may qualify, and the Medicare, school and health supports to use if not.
References
- About the changes to the NDIS — Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026
- Thriving Kids questions and answers (archived) — Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026
- Thriving Kids — National Disability Insurance Scheme, 2026
- First phase of Thriving Kids supports start today — National Disability Insurance Scheme, 2026
- Funding changes for NDIS supports — Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026
- Guide to eligibility reassessments — National Disability Insurance Scheme, 2026
- What are the early intervention eligibility requirements — National Disability Insurance Scheme, 2026
- How to gather evidence — National Disability Insurance Scheme, 2026
- How to request a review of a decision — National Disability Insurance Scheme, 2026
- Participant Service Guarantee — National Disability Insurance Scheme, 2026
- What are capacity building supports — National Disability Insurance Scheme, 2026
