Submission
No 120

INQUIRY INTO FOUNDATIONAL AND DISABILITY SUPPORTS AVAILABLE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Organisation:	Prelude Australia
Date Received:	18 September 2026

Prelude Australia
Foundational and disability supports available for children and young people in New South Wales

To the Select Committee,

Re: Inquiry on foundational and disability supports available for children and young people in New South Wales

I write to you as the CEO of Prelude Australia, a Not for Profit Charity established in 1981 in the Hunter Valley, NSW that currently provides Best Practice Early Childhood and Therapy Services delivered by a workforce of Early Childhood Teachers, Allied Health Professionals, Allied Health Assistants (Outcome Assistants) and Childcare Educators.

Prelude Australia supports kids from birth to twelve in our centres and in community, under programs that include but are not limited to:

• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
• Sector Capacity Building Program [Department of Education]
• Inclusive Futures Program [Grant Funded]
• Supported Playgroups Program [Funded by Fundraising Events]
• Allied Health Medicare Services

Prelude Australia has been invited and submitted a Request for Tender for both:

• Thriving Kids - General Supports
• Thriving Kids — Targeted Supports

Firstly, Prelude Australia would like to acknowledge and recognise the government’s leadership in the co-design, commissioning and implementation planning for Foundational Supports in New South Wales.

We welcome the ongoing consultation opportunities led by Department of Communities and Justice, and the additional opportunity to make a submission with the reopening of this inquiring until 18 September 2026.

This submission is intended to provide additional information following Prelude Australia’s endorsement of the Child and Family Supports Alliance NSW (CaFSA NSW) submission & consultation on the National Disability Services (NDS) submission.

Supporting Information for the Terms of Reference:

It is acknowledged that the scope of this inquiry is outlined in the Terms of Reference in which the Select Committee has been tasked to inquire and report on child development and early childhood intervention services available for children with developmental concerns, delays, differences or disabilities in particular:

• Role of services on the child’s development, health and well being
• Types of services and access in metropolitan, regional, rural and remote NSW
• Role of diagnostic services
• Existing gaps and barriers to access early childhood intervention and its impact on a child’s development
• Opportunities to increase engagement and collaboration across sectors
• Learnings from best practice models outside of NSW
• Workforce issues including workforce demand, availability, quality and existing capacity
• Recommendations of the NDIS Review Final Report and Disability Royal Commission Final Report

Prelude Australia Submission:

With the intent to add value to the work of the Select Committee, this submission will provide a Request for Consideration to each of the Recommendations in the First Report (February 2026) as outlined in the NSW Government Response to the First Report (May 2026) in which support was documented as follows:

Response	QTY	Recommendation #
Supported	2	11, 12
Supported in Principle	8	2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16
Noted	4	1, 9, 10, 17
Not Supported	3	3, 4, 13
Total	17

Recommendation 1: That the New South Wales Government provide sustainable and ongoing core funding to neighbourhood and community centres. [Noted]

Request for Consideration:

• That a broad interpretation of neighbourhood and community centres is considered to ensure that trusted community based organisations are maintained during the implementation of Thriving Kids
• That it is recognised that there is a diverse early childhood support ecosystems that is unique to locations and communities particularly in regional, rural and

• remote areas across NSW presenting a risk to these communities who need local solutions if provided with metropolitan centric systems.
• That core funding supports sustainability in relation to service delivery, operational costs and capital works to maintain centres that require ongoing repair and maintenance to keep workers, families and children safe.

Recommendation 2: That the New South Wales Government take note of the evidence received through the course of the inquiry, including the co-design and engagement roadmap developed to ensure families and services are valued partners in reform. [Supported in Principle]

It is also noted by Prelude Australia that the NSW Government led by the Department of Communities and Justice, consulted widely in the early design of Thriving Kids in NSW.

Request for Consideration:

• That an Engagement Roadmap incorporates:
  • Community Communication Strategy
  • Implementation Milestones
  • Review Milestones
  • Consultation Opportunities for Learnings
  • Consultation Opportunities for Reporting where there is evidence of misalignment between the Governments intent and the Implementation of Thriving Kids in the community
• Further consultation with services as valued partners, that transparently outlines the financial modelling of the Thriving Kids program design that includes but not limited to:
  • Total Demand (i.e. numbers of children with low to moderate support needs)
  • Demand that will be met
  • Demand that will not be met
  • Workforce Availability
  • Service Transition Roadmap for transition between NDIS and Thriving Kids

Recommendation 3: That, the New South Wales Government explicitly incorporate whole-of-family wellbeing into program design, commissioning and evaluation frameworks, including measures to identify and respond to family functioning and sibling needs.

This should include access to targeted mental health supports, parent capacity building, peer support and respite for caregivers and siblings, ensuring that community-based hubs and navigators are resourced to address family needs and co-designed with carers, siblings and organisations with expertise in family-focused interventions. [Not Supported]

It is noted by Prelude Australia that respite and targeted Mental Health supports are out of scope and Thriving Kids will provide services such as supported playgroups, peer support, parenting groups, group and individual early childhood intervention that includes Allied Health Therapy.

Request for Consideration:

• That there is a broad interpretation of peer support that includes but is not limited to Parent Lead Programs, Dads Groups and Siblings Groups that are evidence based and support whole of family capacity building and wellbeing.
• That if additional Foundational Supports programs for other cohorts are developed that are not based on age as an eligibility criterion (e.g. psychosocial or mental health support) that there is a planned and coordinated design that reduces mental load & duplication for children & families who may be eligible for multiple Foundational Support programs
• That the NSW Government recognises the critical need for respite and short term accommodation to support children with low to moderate support needs to reduce the risk of parent & caregiver burnout, child protection risk, relinquishment and out of home care.

Recommendation 4: That the New South Wales Government co-design and fund dedicated transition pathways for children turning 9 and those 9 and older who are eligible for foundational supports, including proactive outreach, supported transition between services, and clear information for families about their options. These pathways should be co-designed with children, young people and families and include specific safeguards to prevent any interruption of essential supports at key developmental and schooling milestones. [Not Supported]

Request for Consideration:

• That transition support would be best placed within local Thriving Kids providers as part of the funded program exit strategy for children
• That the work to support families with transition pathways and continuity of supports when children age out of services is complex and time needs to be fully funded to deliver quality supports.

Recommendation 5: That the New South Wales Government implement and fund a rural and remote access guarantee strategy for foundational supports, including outreach service models, telehealth expansion, mobile allied health teams, travel subsidy enhancements, workforce incentives and regionally tailored commissioning to address geographic inequities in access and wait times. [Supported in Principle]

Request for Consideration:

• A Rural and Remote Access Guarantee should include regional areas in which children continue to be impacted by access inequity and the “location lottery.”
• That partnership models be considered where there can be the creation of hybrid teams of local in person supports and virtual Telepractice supports to address travel barriers, workforce availability, capacity and capabilities.
• That there is a significant risk to a commissioning model in which providers in regional, rural and remote areas need in house capacity to deliver Allied Health Therapy. There is available evidence to show that quality providers who have

experienced Early Childhood Teacher teams have not been invited or applied for Thriving Kids due to systemic workforce design criterion.

• That there is a significant risk to a commissioning model in which vast geographical service areas are identified to be delivered by one provider. There is available evidence to show that quality providers have not applied for Thriving Kids funding due to systemic travel costs across service areas.

Recommendation 6: That the New South Wales Government establish and fund a statewide, integrated foundational supports co-location navigation model, including local ‘no wrong door’ entry points, shared referral protocols across health, education and community services, and digital referral infrastructure to reduce fragmentation, administrative burden and duplication experienced by families and carers. This should be co-designed with children and young people, located in places that are accessible and integrated into the community, and should be designed to deliver timely, culturally appropriate and individualised supports. [Supported in Principle]

Request for Consideration:

• That local, community based interagencies are funded that may include the Department of Communities and Justice, Health, Education, Community Services, Thriving Kids Providers, and key representative from the NDIS / Private Allied Health Sector to:
  • Support: No Wrong Door approach & service coordination where there are children who are eligible for multiple service systems (e.g. Thriving Kids, Community Health, Medicare etc)
  • Reduce Risks: Children on multiple wait lists, children being offered multiple services at the same time, duplication of services and costs, service being provided by providers who are available but may not be best placed to provide supports.

Recommendation 7: That foundational supports be co-designed, governed and delivered in partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) [Supported in Principle]

Request for Consideration:

• Utilise the opportunity to learn, listen, consult and pilot with identified Aboriginal Targeted Supports under current commissioning in identified service areas.
• Provide additional transparency and information on how Aboriginal children will be allocated or given the opportunity to choose either Thriving Kids vs ACCO / ACCHO providers in their area.
• Ensure sustainable and ongoing funding for all Thriving Kids providers to engage and procure ACCO / ACCHO organisations (where possible) to deliver Cultural Capability Training to support Culturally Responsive & Safe service delivery for all children.
• Allow for flexibility of funding and collaboration with relevant services to respond to increase risk of trauma, domestic violence and homelessness in this community.

Recommendation 8: That the New South Wales Government embed an equity and inclusion framework for culturally and linguistically diverse families within foundational supports. [Supported in Principle]

Request for Consideration:

• Ensure sustainable and ongoing funding for the provision of interpretation and translation services (where required).
• Recognition and support for the diversity of this community that may include people on humanitarian visas and parents from isolated migrant communities.
• Allow for flexibility of funding and collaboration with relevant services to respond to increase risk of trauma, domestic violence and homelessness in this community.

Recommendation 9: Foundational supports funding models should include multi-year, flexible block funding arrangements, outcome-based accountability, and co-investment mechanisms to enable long-term planning, workforce stability, and continuity of care. [Noted]

Request for Consideration:

• That where multi - year contracts are funded there is an early and clearly communicated plan to support workforce planning related to:
  • Notification timelines prior to end of contract
  • Commissioning & procurement strategy at the end of contract (e.g. re-tender / open or closed tender etc)
• Outcome-based accountability includes Core Outcomes & Indicators for both performance against output deliverables, developmental & participation outcomes for children and capacity building outcomes for families.

Recommendation 10: That the New South Wales Government implement and evaluate place-based solutions like relational contracting that reflect the unique needs and strengths of each community, particularly in rural, remote, and disadvantaged areas. The funding model should be co-designed with shared accountability among service providers, families, and community stakeholders and enable local service to jointly triage cases, review community trends, and develop collaborative responses. [Noted]

Request for Consideration:

• Please see applicable considerations for Recommendation 5

Recommendation 11: That the New South Wales Government establish and fund a dedicated prevention and early intervention investment framework within foundational supports, prioritising evidence-based community delivery models, scalable early identification pathways, developmental screening integration and sustained funding for programs demonstrating long-term outcome and cost-avoidance benefits. [Supported]

Request for Consideration:

• That further information is provided to clarify the plan for 3 year old (Thriving Kids) and 4 year old (NSW Health) development checks in NSW.
• That for Targeted Supports, during commissioning, implementation and evaluation Thriving Kids providers must be able to demonstrate policies, procedures and service delivery models that implement the National Best Practice Framework
• That for General Supports, during commissioning, implementation and evaluation Thriving Kids providers must be able to demonstrate policies, procedures and service delivery models that are evidence based.
• That there are additional evidence based parenting programs that are not currently on the Community and Family Support (CAFS) program. Where these parenting programs are available but not listed, it is recommended they be assessed to be included in the CAFS program and/or approved as an evidence based local program.

Recommendation 12: That the New South Wales Government publish a clear foundational supports system map including eligibility boundaries, service scope definitions, interface points with the NDIS and universal services, implementation timelines, transition funding allocations and a publicly accessible information platform for families and providers. [Supported]

Request for Consideration:

• That there is a broad interpretation of supports and system mapping is supported locally at the service area level by interagencies and key community stakeholders.
• That the Supports System Map is included within the Engagement Roadmap and utilised key stakeholders to increase access to information. For example. the Primary Health Network (PHN) in the Hunter that represents existing service infrastructure that connects General Practice, Mental Health, Allied Health, Rural Health and First Nations Health sectors.

Recommendation 13: That foundational supports uphold children’s right to support in their learning and educational setting and be formally embedded within playgroup, early learning and school settings through revised funding mechanisms, co-commissioned allied health supports, universal design for learning implementation, educator capability building and integrated inclusion planning between education, health and disability systems. [Not Supported]

Request for Consideration:

• That in New South Wales there is existing workforce infrastructure within the Not for Profit sector of embedded Early Childhood Teachers within Key Worker and transdisciplinary teams that present as a significant opportunity to act as a conduit for collaboration between Thriving Kids and the Early Childhood Education & Care, and Education sectors.

• That it will be critically important to recognise the interface of the broader early childhood ecosystem that must include coordination of services funded under Thriving Kids and the Disability Inclusion Sector Capacity Building Program in NSW, alongside the federally funded Inclusion Support Program.

Recommendation 14: That the New South Wales Government develop a cross-sector workforce strategy for foundational supports that includes a transitional fund for providers, pay parity initiatives, indexed funding rates, rural workforce incentives, student placement pipelines, supervision supports and joint workforce planning with health, education and disability sectors. [Supported in Principle]

Request for Consideration:

• Recognition that Employers in NSW, who have provided NDIS services have responded to legislative increases in wages, in addition to significantly increased costs of operations (approx. 20%), with no indexation on revenue by the Federal Government since 2019.
• That student placements are the key workforce strategy for Employers however, student clinical education has a significant cost for providers. Student placements reduced after the introduction of the NDIS and has had a long term impact on workforce in NSW. This has been a realised risk in which Thriving Kids represents as an opportunity to recorrect, in order to rebuild the workforce.
• That a sustainable and fully funded model provide opportunities to recommence, maintain or ideally grow student placements as a systemic workforce strategy of government.

Recommendation 15: That foundational supports recognise parents and carers as critical partners and include universal and targeted parent and carer capacity building initiatives focused on strengthening caregiver confidence, early learning support at home and responsive parenting practices, with delivery embedded in accessible, non-stigmatising community settings such as home, educational services (early childhood education and schools), neighbourhood centres, playgroups and family support services. [Supported in principle]

Request for Consideration:

• That ongoing consultation and co-design is available to parent & caregivers to identify need, demand and design of parent and peer programs in ways that reflect modern families and support shared load on all parents, and not disproportionally the responsibility of mothers.
• Support innovative ways of delivering early intervention services that may include asynchronous supports to families who are not available during business hours (e.g. recordings of capacity building supports being exchanged between workers and families).

Recommendation 16: That families, carers and people with lived experience be embedded in foundational supports implementation, including advisory groups, evaluation design, commissioning input and service quality monitoring. [Supported in principle]

Request for Consideration:

• That lived experience is also gained from children who are receiving supports and young people / adults who previously received early intervention.
• That where government seek consultation from parents & caregivers with lived experience there is consideration for payment and/or compensation.

Recommendation 17: That the New South Wales Government invest in shared digital infrastructure for foundational supports, including common intake tools, consent-based information sharing, service directories, referral tracking and outcomes dashboards to improve coordination, reduce duplication and strengthen system accountability.

Request for Consideration:

• That the NSW government investigate opportunities and capabilities for shared access to NSW Health Single Digital Patient Record similar to community GP access trials in the Hunter.
• That the NSW government investigate opportunities and capabilities for shared access to client information between Department of Communities and Justice and Targeted Thriving Kids providers.
• That shared digital infrastructure includes relevant Artificial Intelligence policy, procedures and guidelines.

On behalf of Prelude Australia, I would like to thank you for this additional opportunity to make a submission to the Select Committee. We look forward to any subsequent Reports and Government Response to Reports that are delivered as an outcome of this Inquiry.

Prelude Australia welcomes the introduction of Thriving Kids and the opportunity it represents to provide best practice early childhood supports to children and their families, while recognising the challenge of meeting support demands within limited funding availability.

Prelude Australia thanks the Department of Communities and Justice for its leadership in NSW and the progress it is making to provide timely access to Thriving Kids for families during significant NDIS reform.

Kimberly Lewis

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

18 September 2026