Submission 591
Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Committee
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future
Generations) Bill 2026
I write as the Chief Executive Officer of South Australia’s peak body for foster and kinship carers, Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers South Australia (CFKC).
As the committee may be aware, children and young people within the child protection system have higher prevalence of disability, developmental delay and behavioural disorders1. As such, it is imperative that connection and collaboration between the state child protection system and the federal disability support system occur.
Foster and kinship carers are not worried about which level of government is responsible for support – their focus is rightfully on the wellbeing of the child or young person in their care.
As outlined in the NDIS Bill and in Minister Butler’s First Reading Speech in May 2026, there are significant changes proposed for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. As previously announced, Thriving Kids will also be introduced from October 2026.
CFKC knows these changes aim to address demand and implementation challenges and the divergence from the scheme design by the Productivity Commission.
However, in noting this, it is also important to acknowledge that how the scheme has been implemented over the last 12 years has fundamentally changed the way other services are delivered – rightfully or wrongly – which presents risks to some vulnerable cohorts. These impacts are not easily ‘undone’ and should be considered in the implementation of the new legislation.
A seamless connection is essential for the wellbeing of children and young people. Early intervention saves not only financial costs in the long term, but it also increases the opportunities and social contribution of children with disability across their life. Finally, it ameliorates the challenges and stress that parents face, and the direct impacts on the stability of placements when children are in out of home care.
However, so far there has not been adequate or proactive engagement on how children and young people in out of home care are considered in the design of the new arrangements for disability supports.
1 See Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing (2026) Child protection Australia 2023–24. Available online: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-australia-2023-24/contents/insights/supporting-children
Submission 591
CFKC notes there will be more esteemed and qualified witnesses and organisations that will provide evidence and submissions to the Committee. For this reason, as well as the abridged timeframe for submissions, CFKC’s submission will be brief.
Our focus is on vulnerable children and young people, and the people who care for them in the statutory system.
Our primary concerns are:
Vulnerable children and young people need to be prioritised
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CFKC’s focus is on the needs of vulnerable children and young people under the guardianship of the South Australian Government, and the people who support them.
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Early intervention is essential for children and young people with mild to moderate ADHD or autism, or developmental delay, as it impacts the rest of their lives.
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This need is even higher for vulnerable children and young people who have experienced trauma or unsafe homes in their upbringing.
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One of our key concerns is around what happens to vulnerable children and young people with disability or developmental delay who will no longer be eligible under the NDIS.
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We note that Thriving Kids is currently being designed; however, we have not seen evidence of engagement with children, young people, foster and kinship carers, or vulnerable parents. Detailed information about Thriving Kids could currently be described as patchy, complex and overly bureaucratic.
The changes provide no guarantee that children and young people who have interacted with the child protection system won’t fall through the cracks
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In early 2026, the federal and South Australian governments agreed: “Activities delivered under this Agreement are to be managed within the agreed funding envelope and are not demand-driven entitlements. South Australia is responsible for managing service volume, prioritisation and delivery settings to operate within available funding.”2
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This means that disability supports provided outside of the NDIS for those with more mild or moderate disabilities are not universal. This means there will be a capped budget.
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What happens if the budget is fully used up? CFKC wants reassurances that children and young people who have interacted with the child protection system will not fall through the gaps, and that their unique life situations are considered in designing the new NDIS eligibility, Thriving Kids and other services.
Carers (and their representatives) must be engaged in these changes
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We note that the NDIS eligibility changes are not set, and Thriving Kids is still being designed.
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Carers and their representative bodies have not been engaged in the development of these changes and have no reassurances that vulnerable children and young people in care, and the people that support them, have been adequately considered in the development of these changes.
2 Schedule A (2026) Bilateral Agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of South Australia on the
National Disability Insurance Scheme
Submission 591
As Minister Butler said at his address to the National Press Club on 22 April 2026, ‘young Australians aren’t just our cherished kids; they’re our future and require us to invest in their opportunities to build contributing lives in this great country’.
We need to make sure this includes the children who have had a more difficult start to life.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide this submission. Should you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at
Yours sincerely