Supplementary
Submission
No 93a
INQUIRY INTO FOUNDATIONAL AND DISABILITY
SUPPORTS AVAILABLE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG
PEOPLE IN NEW SOUTH WALES
Name: Name suppressed
Date Received: 18 September 2026
Partially
Confidential
Supplementary submission - Recommendation 13 and upcoming hearing 1 message
18 September 2026 at 14:47 To: disabilitysupports@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Dear Committee Secretariat,
Please accept this email as a supplementary submission to my existing submission to the Select Committee’s inquiry into foundational and disability supports available for children and young people in NSW (submitted on 15 September 2026). Please apply the same confidentiality arrangements requested for my original submission.
The Committee’s Recommendation 13 called for children’s right to support in their learning settings to be formally embedded through revised funding, allied-health collaboration, accessible teaching and stronger educator capability.
The NSW Government marked Recommendation 13 “Not supported” and instead referred to Thriving Kids. However, the Government expressly states that Thriving Kids will not provide education services or revise education funding mechanisms. It is also limited to children aged eight and under with developmental delay and/or autism and low-to-moderate support needs.
The published response does not disclose the evidence, costings, workforce analysis, agency advice or implementation options underlying the rejection of Recommendation 13.
I understand the Committee will have an opportunity to question relevant departments and agencies at an upcoming hearing. I respectfully ask the Committee to put the following questions to the Department of Education, Department of Communities and Justice, NSW Treasury, The Cabinet Office and responsible ministers:
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Which agencies and ministers recommended that Recommendation 13 be marked “Not supported”, and what reasons were recorded for that decision?
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What costings, workforce analysis, implementation options and agency advice were prepared? Will the Government provide those records to the Committee?
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What analysis supports relying on Thriving Kids as the Government’s response when it does not provide education services, revise school funding or cover children outside its age and eligibility limits?
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What funded alternative will address inadequate support inside schools, educator capability, allied-health collaboration, local support-class capacity and children who cannot currently access a sustainable education pathway?
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Did the Government assess the consequences of rejecting Recommendation 13 for school attendance, suspensions, shortened school days, classroom safety, learning disruption, family workforce participation and compliance with the Disability Standards for Education 2005?
If these questions cannot be answered fully at the hearing, I ask that the relevant witnesses be required to provide answers and supporting records on notice before the Committee finalises its report.
Parents should be partners in their children’s education, not unpaid substitutes for the staff, specialist services and school support that government has not provided. Thriving Kids may assist some families, but it does not answer the central issue raised by Recommendation 13: what support will be available where children actually spend their school day?
I also ask to be notified when the hearing date and witness list are confirmed.
Thank you for accepting this supplementary submission.
Yours sincerely,