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Children and Young People with Disability Australia voices community concerns revealed in Thriving Kids survey.
Warning: This story contains discussion of suicide.
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Over 1500 families of children and young people with disability have responded to a nationwide survey conducted by Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA), who sought feedback from the disability community after NDIS Minister Mark Butler announced the Thriving Kids initiative, back in August.
Thriving Kids is an alternative state-based support program for select children with developmental delay and autism under nine, set to launch in July 2026, giving governments and providers just nine months to prepare.
According to CYDA, the peak body for people under eighteen living with disability, almost 8 in 10 people believe the government’s Thriving Kids rollout window leaves too little time to prepare, putting vital supports at risk.
Powerd Media sat down with Children and Young People with Disability Australia CEO, Skye Kakoschke-Moore, who explains that only 4% of survey respondents felt the rollout of Thriving Kids could be completed sufficiently.
We heard that the vast majority of respondents felt really worried about the timeline… that's not surprising given the announcement came quite out of the blue and with not a lot of information wrapped around it
Skye Kakoschke-Moore
The CYDA questionnaire revealed that three in four young people, parents and caregivers reported being worried, while one in two were scared or confused by the initiative.
Other participants reported feeling angry, powerless, and even suicidal, according to the results of the survey.
According to Ms Kakoschke-Moore, most respondents indicated they were worried that having block funded services would mean children would be forced into a one size fits all program.
Families and young people are really concerned about a lack of choice and control and individualized supports. We know that one size fits all never works, and so no matter what is delivered through Thriving Kids, it's really important that those individual needs can be met.
Skye Kakoschke-Moore
Ms Kakoschke-Moore says psychology, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy and parenting programs remain prime supports that make a difference among the disability community.
While submissions to the Parliamentary Inquiry on Thriving Kids closed on Friday, a federal government survey is currently underway gathering community feedback on the experiences of families and carers in accessing support services for children with additional needs.
The Children and Young People with Disability Australia CEO is imploring members of the disability community to share their thoughts.
I'd really encourage anybody who is listening, who has an interest in shaping what thriving kids looks like to make a submission…so all the input…means that thriving kids will end up being a better product at the end of the day.
Skye Kakoschke-Moore
The survey will remain open until the 10th of October 2025.
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