Community Therapy’s Submission to the Thriving Kids Initiative Inquiry
To:The Australian Parliament
From:Community Therapy
Date:3 October 2025
Focus:Comprehensive analysis of challenges and opportunities within the system of care for children with developmental delay, autism or both, with mild to moderate support needs in the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Hunter Valley, Port Stephens, and Central Coast regions.
1. Introduction
Community Therapy welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the inquiry on the Thriving Kids initiative. As a provider of allied health services (Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy) to children and families across the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Hunter Valley, Port Stephens, and Central Coast regions, we have a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the current system of care for children with mild to moderate developmental delays.
Our team works directly with families from initial concerns through to intervention, giving us a unique, on-the-ground perspective. We believe that a well-designed national initiative can create a more effective, equitable, and sustainable foundational support system for all Australian children and their families.
2. Response to the Terms of Reference
2.1. Evidence-Based Information and Resources for Parents
Identifying developmental delays early is crucial, yet many parents lack access to simple, reliable, and consistent information. Resources are often fragmented and difficult to navigate.
Current State of Information:
● The Raising Children Network:A valuable resource, but many parents find it overwhelming due to the sheer volume of information. ● NDIS Website:Often complex and focused on the administrative aspects of funding, rather than practical, early-stage guidance for parents. ● Peak Body Websites:Highly informative, but parents often don’t know where to start or which professional body is relevant to their concerns.
Recommendations: National Centralised HubA national, centralised, and government-backed platform is needed. This hub should use plain language and include:
● Simple checklists and developmental milestones in an accessible format. ● Video resources showing developmental stages and therapeutic strategies. ● A “find a professional” tool linked to accredited allied health professionals. ● Information translated into multiple languages to support culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families.
2.2. Effectiveness of Current and Previous Programs
The current system of support for children with mild to moderate needs is a mix of successes and significant challenges. While the NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention approach (ECEI) has made services more accessible for many, implementation has been inconsistent.
Successes of the Early NDIS Approach:
● The NDIS has provided a consistent funding mechanism for many families who previously struggled to afford therapy. ● The focus on early intervention is a positive step in recognising the importance of the first few years of a child’s life.
Gaps and Inadequacies: The Service CrisisOur internal records highlight five recurring themes of systemic barriers that prevent families from accessing timely, affordable support:
1. Long Delays in Initial Assessment:The time taken for initial diagnosis currently negates the principle of early intervention. ○ Families are typically waiting 6–12 months for an initial developmental or diagnostic assessment. ○ In some cases, wait times stretch to 18 months and longer, particularly for paediatricians and psychologists. ○ This results in a critical loss of early support during the most formative years. 2. Challenges in the NDIS ECEI Pathway: ○ Families describe the process as overly complex, requiring repeated forms and evidence-gathering that feels duplicative. ○ Children with lower or less visible support needs (e.g., speech and language delays, hypermobility) are particularly vulnerable, often being told they do not meet eligibility criteria despite requiring targeted early support. 3. System Drop-off and Family Burnout: ○ We consistently witness families disengage before completing the NDIS process due to paperwork fatigue, long waits, or the perception that the system is “too hard.” ○ These children often miss out on services until school age, when issues may have compounded into behavioural, social, or learning difficulties. 4. Lack of Predictive Planning and Expert Guidance: ○ Families frequently lack the knowledge to predict future support needs over a 12 or 24 month period, which is essential for NDIS planning. ○ For instance, parents may not know to request essential equipment (like a standing frame for a child not sitting independently) or critical Allied Health hours, as they are not informed about available (and likely required) long-term supports. ○ The failure of this predictive planning forces families to submit time consuming “change of circumstance” requests, leading to further delays in accessing necessary equipment and therapy. 5. The Widening Service Gap: ○ Families are increasingly caught in a “gap of services,” spending thousands of dollars out of pocket on reports, only to then wait months for NDIS approval without being able to afford private therapy in the interim.
○ Crucially, once children are deemed NDIS-eligible, they are often de-linked from existing government community health services, creating a funding-support gap during the long wait for their first plan to be finalised. ○ Children with mild to moderate needs who do not qualify for NDIS (e.g., those with speech sound disorders) are left with no affordable pathways to access services. ○ Medicare rebates barely cover a small fraction of the session fee and provide too few sessions to achieve meaningful progress.
Case Study Snapshots
Case Study 1 – Lake Macquarie (Child aged 9)A family first sought help when their child, then aged 8, was showing signs of being on the autism spectrum. They were referred to a paediatrician, but the first available appointment was 14 months away. Without a formal diagnosis, the child was unable to access NDIS support. The family spent thousands of dollars privately but could not sustain this long-term. Now aged 9, the child is experiencing significant academic and social challenges. Both parents and educators strongly believe that early, funded intervention would have changed this trajectory.
Case Study 2 – Hunter Valley (Child aged 1 year)A family referred via GP to Physiotherapy and Speech Pathology due to concerns regarding delayed walking and speech development.The family attempted to navigate the NDIS ECEI pathway for the child including with supporting letter from Haematologist (Due to underlying medical condition) Physiotherapy and Speech Pathology for funding to receive developmental support by Allied Health clinicians.The family were approved for Early Connections support through the NDIS but no funding allocated for allied health intervention. After multiple requests for support, reports highlighting need for allied health intervention and inconsistent feedback on eligibility, the family described feeling “defeated” and withdrew from privately accessing Allied Health intervention to work on their goals as it was not financially viable for them. The child continues to not have support funding, and the family reports ongoing developmental delays.
Case Study 3 – Central Coast (Child aged 4)A family was approved for their child’s first NDIS plan with funding specifically allocated for Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy, as these were the areas of delay the parents were aware of and reported at the time. The parents, lacking a clear understanding of their child’s holistic or future needs, did not request funding for Physiotherapy.
During the initial phase of therapy, the Occupational Therapist identified significant gross motor and postural stability concerns impacting the child’s self-care and
participation. The OT immediately recommended a comprehensive Physiotherapy assessment and intervention.
However, because Physiotherapy was not explicitly listed as a ‘stated support’ or given allocated funding in the child’s current NDIS plan, the family could not access the crucial Physiotherapy services required to meet the newly identified needs. The family, already overwhelmed, now faces the lengthy and complex process of submitting a Change of Circumstances review to amend the plan, resulting in further delays to essential intervention during a critical developmental window. This highlights the systemic failure to provide families with the predictive health literacy needed to create effective, comprehensive plans from the outset.
2.3. Equity and Intersectional Issues
Access to early intervention is not equal. Children from First Nations and CALD backgrounds face additional systemic barriers.
Key Barriers:
● Cultural and Linguistic Barriers:A lack of culturally safe services and language barriers prevents many families from seeking or receiving support. The reliance on complex jargon is a major deterrent. ● Systemic Distrust:Historical factors have led to a deep-seated distrust of government and mainstream services in some communities. ● Geographical Disparity:Families in regional and remote parts of the Hunter Valley face a severe shortage of qualified allied health professionals.
Recommendations:
● Programs must be co-designed with First Nations and CALD communities. ● Funding should be allocated for training and employing First Nations and CALD allied health assistants and professionals. ● All programs should mandate the use of certified interpreters and provide materials in multiple languages. ● Investment in telehealth technology and community-based transport subsidies to overcome geographical disparity.
2.4. Workforce Support and Training
A strong and well-supported workforce is the backbone of any effective program. Severe workforce shortages combined with a lack of targeted training threaten the success of a national initiative.
Internal Workforce Needs and Gaps:
● Early Career Clinicians at Risk:Graduates have limited preparation for supporting children with complex developmental differences. Without adequate supervision and mentoring, they are “thrown in the deep end,” leading to stress and early burnout. ● Burnout and Caseload Pressures:The emotional weight of seeing children fall behind while waiting for services, combined with managing complex caseloads, is leading to staff burnout and high attrition across the sector. ● Barriers to Professional Development (PD):Clinicians must take personal leave or lose income to attend training. This makes access to training inequitable, particularly for early career and sole trader clinicians who need it most.
What’s Needed – A National PD and Supervision Framework:A sustainable workforce solution must embed a structured, accessible framework that supports clinicians, including:
● Mandate Protected Time for PD and Supervision:This time must be built into service models and fully compensated, ensuring clinicians can grow their skills without compromising client access or using personal leave. ● Establish a National Professional Development Fund:This fund must guarantee fully funded access to ongoing professional development, particularly in specialised areas such as neurodiversity-affirming practice, trauma-informed care, and early childhood development. ● Implement Nationally Coordinated Supervision and Mentoring:Develop a national program ensuring early career clinicians are fully supported by experienced practitioners to manage complex caseloads, thereby reducing early burnout and attrition. ● Ensure Accessible Delivery:Promote blended learningoptions (online, regional hubs, and in-person intensives) to make training accessible and reduce the burden of travel and lost income for clinicians, particularly those in regional and sole trader settings.
2.5. Domestic and International Best Practice
To inform the Thriving Kids initiative, we must learn from successful models both at home and abroad. The most effective models share common, critical features: they are person and family-centred, integrated across different sectors, and prioritise early identification.
International Example: UNICEF Early Childhood Intervention and Inclusion Programme
The UNICEF programme in Europe and Central Asia provides a holistic, family-centred approach that successfully integrates services across health, education, and social sectors. This model demonstrates effectiveness by:
● Prioritising early identification of developmental differences. ● Allowing for targeted, short-term 1:1 interventions for specific needs (like speech sound disorders or motor skills) alongside inclusive group-based programs. ● Ensuring therapists work closely with families and educators to embed strategies across everyday routines, guaranteeing that skills generalize to real-life settings.
By combining inclusive and individual support, the UNICEF model shows how coordinated interventions can significantly improve developmental outcomes, promote social inclusion, and reduce long-term inequities.
Australian Example: National Best Practice Framework for Early Childhood Intervention
This Framework, commissioned by the Commonwealth Department of Social Services, provides a clear domestic roadmap for high-quality intervention. It outlines evidence-informed practices that align with international best practice, emphasising:
● Family-centred and cross-sectoral approaches. ● The importance of early identification and providing tools to help practitioners, families, and services work collaboratively.
The Need for a Blended Model and Private Providers
For the Thriving Kids initiative to succeed, its design must acknowledge that there is no single, uniform approach. A best practice model requires flexibility and a dual focus:
1. Early Targeted Intervention:Flexibility for targeted, time-limited funding to support children with mild to moderate concerns where timely support can reduce the need for longer-term services. 2. Lifelong Disability Support:Ensuring equitable andsustainable pathways for children and young people with complex needs that require consistent, tailored, and ongoing support.
The Role of Private Providers:Current governmentinfrastructure often lacks the consistent capacity to deliver intensive, coordinated early interventions at scale, particularly the short-term 1:1 support required alongside inclusive programs. Private providers are essential partners in this delivery due to their existing expertise, workforce capacity, and flexibility.
Conclusion for Thriving Kids Initiative:Drawing on these models confirms that early, coordinated, and family-centred intervention is achievable and effective. Investment must therefore focus on a public-private partnership that ensures timely, integrated service delivery and support for all children and families across the region.
2.6. Seamless Transition through Mainstream Systems
A key goal of the Thriving Kids initiative should be to create a simple, stress-free pathway for families by shifting from a fragmented system to one that is truly integrated.
Proposed Mechanisms:
● Single Point of Entry:Create a single, national intake point for all developmental concerns in children. This central hub would triage concerns and direct families to the most appropriate services. ● Integrated Healthcare:Embed developmental screening and basic support into standard child and maternal health check-ups. ● Mainstream Support:Invest in training for early childhood educators, teachers, and school staff to help them identify and support children with mild to moderate developmental needs in the classroom setting.
3. Conclusion
Community Therapy strongly supports the vision of the Thriving Kids initiative. We believe that by implementing the recommendations outlined in this submission, from creating a single point of entry to addressing workforce shortages and fostering equitable access, the Australian Parliament can establish a world-class system of support for children and families. Investing in the workforce and simplifying the pathway is a direct investment in children’s developmental outcomes, equity, and long-term wellbeing.