News
Following the passing of the controversial NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026, the Federal Government has announced Thriving Teens—the planned counterpart to the $4 billion Thriving Kids program—an initiative which the NDIS Minister claims will support older children and adults with lower support needs.
According to Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Mark Butler, Thriving Teens is the planned state-based foundational support program designed for older children, teenagers, and adults with lower support needs who do not qualify for and for those transitioning off the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The Government is framing Thriving Teens as a critical safety net under the broader foundational supports reform, which aims to provide community-based services outside of the NDIS.
When I speak to high school principals, they often say we need ‘Thriving Teens’, we need this program for children older than nine, That is a lot of work for all governments ... we’ve got a lot of work to do between now and the end of 2027.
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Mark Butler
Despite the government's promises, the overall Thriving branch of Foundational Supports has triggered intense anxiety across the disability sector. A nationwide survey conducted by Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) of over 1,500 families revealed that 8 in 10 respondents felt the preparation window was too short, while half reported feeling scared or confused.
Peak bodies and parents have voiced strong opposition to the block-funding model, fearing a return to pre-NDIS state systems characterised by long waiting lists and a lack of individualised control.
Autistic advocates and parents have also criticised the program’s focus on short-term parent-coaching sessions.
Powerd previously spoke with Lee Smith, the mother of an autistic son, who expressed frustration that such programs imply neurodivergence is a short-term issue.
"Neurodivergence can't be outgrown with short-term therapy or parent sessions," Smith argued, adding that the framework risk-shifts responsibility onto parents.
Seeking to reassure the community, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Minister Jenny McAllister, previously told Powerd that no children would be transitioned off the NDIS until alternative foundational supports are fully active and in place.
Children who are already on the scheme will continue to be on the scheme, subject to the usual eligibility reassessment
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Minister Jenny McAllister
With the Thriving Kids October rollout approaching, governments now also face a 16-month countdown to design a parallel “Thriving Teens” framework to cover older children and adults with lower support needs before NDIS eligibility rules tighten on January 1, 2028.