The Queensland government says its refusal to sign up to a new program for autistic children is in support of families, despite calls from across the sector to provide certainty for vulnerable kids removed from the NDIS.
The first phase of Thriving Kids, a new system for children under nine with developmental delays or autism and low-to-moderate support needs, will launch on Thursday.
The federal government says the NDIS alternative will initially include foundational supports, a digital resource hub, and national helplines to guide families.
Changes to NDIS access and assessment will not take effect until January 2028.
Queensland the lone holdout
Queensland is the only state or territory yet to sign on to the program, with the Crisafulli government repeatedly criticising the scheme’s lack of detail and clear, long-term funding.
Disability Services Minister Amanda Camm called Thriving Kids “a bad deal for children with a disability”, and said the LNP was prepared to take a stand, even if it was the only state to do so.
Asked on Wednesday whether the government was considering an eleventh-hour agreement, Premier David Crisafulli said he remained “as strong and resolute as ever”.
“We’re trying to get common sense out of Canberra to make sure [families] don’t fall through the cracks,” he said.
“We’ll keep working Canberra, [but] we want to see the details.”
A spokesperson for the federal government said while every other state and territory was finalising the implementation of Thriving Kids, Queensland had left families “rightly asking” what children’s services they could access.
“Queensland joined every other state and territory earlier this year in signing a national agreement for foundational supports as part of the NHRA [National Health Reform Agreement] deal, as well as a heads of agreement on the national deal that includes Thriving Kids,” the spokesperson said.
“The expectation now is those commitments are implemented so the benefits of the agreement can be realised.”
Greens state MP Michael Berkman labelled the situation “a cruel mess”, and said both Labor and the LNP had turned their backs on autistic people.
“There’s still very little concrete information on what this Thriving Kids program would actually provide,” he said.
“We’ve been told it will include online resources for parents, and there’s been talk of a lot of things it ‘may’ include, like school programs or social groups – all of which sounds pretty weak and undefined to me.
“There’s also no information on what will happen to kids after they turn nine, and nothing on adults with autism who will be kicked off the NDIS at the end of next year.”
Families and providers in the dark
Brisbane mother Nicole Chesterton has been waiting almost two years to get her seven-year-old son assessed for autism.
She was recently told her NDIS funding had been cut and that she wouldn’t be able to dispute it without a formal diagnosis. With the introduction of Thriving Kids looming, she’s even more uncertain about how her son will be supported.
“[Under the NDIS] he was allocated around $17,000 a year to use on speech therapy, psychology, and all those allied health offerings,” she said.
“[Now] there’s no funding and I’m off the list.
“I have no idea [what Thriving Kids will mean] … there’s no way to keep up with all the changes that they’re making.”
Jodi Wolthers, chief executive of Parent to Parent Association Queensland – a support organisation for people with disabilities – said many families were feeling uncertain about what changes to the NDIS would mean in practice.
“Our biggest concern is some parents we talk to have not heard of Thriving Kids,” she said.
“At the same time, we are hearing from families whose young children are being exited from the NDIS.
“The risk is that there is no Thriving Kids or other service for them to go to. There is no safety net.
“In general, parents are concerned about the whole of the NDIS reform changes and what they will mean for their son/daughter and the impact on their family.”
Soul Support provides disability services for children across south-east Queensland, Victoria and NSW.
Managing director Breanna Jenkins said children with autism were already disadvantaged by current funding arrangements, and she worried that more would be left behind by a new, ill-defined program.
“Who will be assessing the severity of these children and whether they’re eligible for Thriving Kids?” she said.
“As we’ve seen with the NDIA [National Disability Insurance Agency] … it can be really challenging for [young people with autism] to get funding, and their funding can just be stripped away.
“After how many years the NDIA has been around, we’re still ironing out key things about it … so it’s a real worry if we’re going to be putting up millions of people and families into Thriving Kids and all of these issues [remain].”
Vision Australia’s chief mission officer, Chris Edwards, said Thriving Kids raised questions for children with multiple disabilities and deteriorating conditions.
“Where those supports are put into different lanes, that creates challenges to be able to provide a holistic support for a child to ensure they … actually start meeting developmental milestones,” he said.
“All programs, whether it’s NDIS or Thriving Kids, should be accepting kids who have deteriorating conditions as early as possible so those interventions can become part of their norm.”
What comes next?
From Thursday, families of children with extra developmental needs can access expanded information and supports, including the new Thriving Kids Autism Helpline and a new online information hub, which Queenslanders will also be able to access.
The federal government said children with permanent and significant disability or high support needs will continue to access the NDIS. The full Thriving Kids program is expected by 2028.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
