Submission to the Australian Parliament’s Thriving Kids
Initiative Inquiry
Submission by:
Date: 3 October 2025
Introduction
Po welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the Australian Parliament’s Thriving Kids Initiative Inquiry.
po has a long history of working towards improving equity, diversity and inclusion
and supporting children, families and carers. nn closest to the community,
we have an important role in advocacy, particularly in elevating the voices of our community.
This submission reflects feedback from , community P to reflect our community’s diverse perspectives and ensure evidenced considerations in providing feedback to the inquiry.
The feedback provided reflects iy commitment to ensuring that all children and families can access effective, appropriate and culturally safe support through mainstream and community services. Our focus remains on high-quality service delivery, community awareness,
and strong advocacy.
As community advocates, professionals, and a service, we contribute a valuable and multifaceted perspective to this Inquiry. We provide feedback founded on lived experienced, professional practice, and best practice and offer recommendations to support inclusive and equitable outcomes for our community.
- Evidence-based resources for parents assessing developmental delay and support to families
Parents and carers in the have been provided multi-faceted resources and support services for many years. Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services have and continue to be a pivotal point of contact for community and families to access a range of evidence-based resources including developmental checklists, online tools, and person-centred core maternal and child health services. Our MCH nurses work closely with our early childhood and family support professionals to provide opportunities for parents in our municipality to receive essential support and additional access to key resources. Together, our services play a key role in referring families to early intervention services and allied health professionals.
In addition to our core MCH services, our teams provide health and development assessments, growth monitoring, developmental screening, and parenting support. Our services extend to
playgroups. provides families with , weekly playgroups
designed to support families with children aged from birth to 5 years. Supported Playgroups are also offered for families who may benefit from tailored support such as groups that are inclusive and safe for LGBTIQA+ families, dads and father figures, and intergenerational families.
also provides short-term coaching and support to teachers in
government-funded kindergarten programs within the . The service is
designed to build the capacity of educators to support the inclusion of children with additional needs. Their support includes on-site observations of children’s inclusion in the kindergarten setting, information and strategies to support inclusion, program adjustments and modifications to better meet individual needs and transition planning to school or other services.
Our Family Services team support our MCH, playgroups and preschool initiatives by offering a wide range of free, confidential, and professional support for families with children aged 0–17 years. These services aim to strengthen family relationships, support child development, and connect families with the right resources and community and health services through casework, parenting programs, and outreach to support families experiencing family conflict, mental health challenges, financial stress and social isolation.
Our associated childcare and kindergarten centres contribute to services by educating parents and educators on evidence-based developmental milestone checklists and resources such as developmental charts from the Department of Education, 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, and linkages to further resources and tools online that can help parents identify signs of developmental delay and assist parents to know when and where to seek help.
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- Effectiveness of Current Programs and Initiatives The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC; 2024) report, a national measure of early childhood development, tells us that since the last census in 2021 the percentage of children developmentally on track has declined at the same time as the number of children experiencing developmental delay has risen.
MCH checks, early childhood education and care, playgroups and community-based programs provide strong platforms for early identification of developmental needs, in line with the AEDC domains. These settings offer both formal and informal opportunities for referral to specialist services. However, families face significant challenges in accessing the relevant additional supports due to a lack of appropriate services, long wait times, time constraints during appointments, limited training for staff, cost of services and access to funding, particularly through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Many families report very long wait times to access NDIS, complex application processes, and difficulties navigating eligibility criteria, which can delay access to essential early intervention supports and increase pressure on parents and care givers.
Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA; 2025) conducted a survey designed to measure the disability community’s experience of, and views on, eligibility reassessments as well as gain insight into potential improvements to the process. The survey found limited integration between health, education, and community sectors, causing difficulties for families to experience continuity of care and support. Additionally, the survey findings suggest that children with mild to moderate needs may not qualify for targeted supports and teachers often lack training in inclusive practices for neurodivergent learners.
Early diagnosis and entry into services are key predictors of success. Multidisciplinary,
transdisciplinary models (e.g. combining education, therapy, and family support) are effective.
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Equity and Intersectional Issues Despite having a higher prevalence of disability, First Nations children are less likely to be identified as having developmental delays due to systemic barriers, mistrust of services, and lack of culturally safe services. This mistrust of services and culturally appropriate services is also a known barrier to accessing these vital services for the multicultural community.
The is one of most culturally, linguistically, and religiously diverse
municipalities. The 2021 Census highlighted that half of population was born overseas and 23.5% of that population arrived between 2016 and 2021. The top birthplaces outside of Australia include China (11.9%), India (7.1%), and Sri Lanka (3.9%). Health and Wellbeing Plan (2025-2029), acknowledges our multicultural communities and First Nations peoples as a
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priority population group to consider alongside our health priorities in the municipality.
acknowledges that some community groups in the municipality, and wider population,
community do not have the same opportunities to achieve and maintain optimum health and wellbeing.
First Nations and multicultural communities often cite language barriers, lack of translated resources and limited availability of culturally safe services as reasons for underutilisation of services offered to children with disabilities (AIHW 2025; Wong et al. 2025). Additionally, under identification and delay in diagnoses can be attributed to inappropriate service offerings as well as early years programming and services being unaware of community sensitivities, protocol, and perspectives in seeking services surrounding disability (Atalell et al. 2025). The inability to access culturally appropriate services results in higher prevalence of developmental delay among First Nations Children (Green et al. 2014) and extends to the multicultural community who are less likely to attend culturally safe and appropriate early childhood education and care, of which is a key site for early identification of disability (Atalell et al. 2025).
- Workforce Gaps and Training Needs Delivering the Thriving Kids initiative effectively will require significant investment in workforce development, particularly across mainstream and community services such as maternal and child health, early childhood education and care (ECEC), allied health, and schools.
Current workforce capacity to support the success of Thriving Kids is severely limited. Currently, there are shortages of allied health professionals, high turn-over of early childhood educators, inconsistent training in developmental screening, inclusive and family centred practice, and cultural competence.
Many professionals in MCH, ECEC, and primary care lack training in identifying and supporting children with mild to moderate developmental delay or autism.
The Enabling Workforces Toolkit (Cole et al. 2025) highlights the need for:
- Neuro-informed practice
- Trauma-aware and culturally responsive approaches
- Skills in early identification, family engagement, and inclusive planning. The landscape of inclusion in includes time poor service leadership, staff that are experiencing burnout, an increased demand for support from services and issues with staff turnover. Programs that support inclusion need to be streamlined, simple to access and build the capacity and knowledge of new educators.
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Reforms that consider the role of educators and service leaders need to understand the pressure they are experiencing. Educators and service leaders are highly skilled and knowledgeable in implementing inclusion practice in their environments. Inclusive practice is a legal and ethical obligation and currently not fully recognised and respected as one of the core skills educators require.
- Best Practice: Domestic and International Insights
The Maternal and Child Health Service and the Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI)
approaches offer strong domestic models that continue to adapt to address equity challenges within their resources.
is undergoing a meaningful shift in how it supports children under the age of 8 with mild to moderate developmental delay, along with their families, carers, and guardians. These changes place a greater emphasis on inclusive, early intervention and community-based supports and offer insight into best practice models for children with a disability. Such an example can be drawn from the Early Childhood Intervention Services (ECIS). This service is now more accessible for families with eligible children through the services being transitioned to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The ECIS is also an example of supporting whole-of-community as the ECIS also supports children with developmental delay or disability who meet ECIS eligibility requirements but are ineligible for the NDIS due to non-Australian residency.
Other examples of best practice and inclusion include the PlayConnect+ (n.d) groups. Funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services as part of the National Early Childhood Program (NECP) supported by the State Autism Associations, the play-based groups are open to all children with disability or developmental concerns aged 0 - 8 years, their families, carers and siblings. Likewise, the ENVISAGE families (ENVISAGE, n.d) program provides pivotal support to the Australian community of carers with children with developmental concerns and disabilities and equips carers with best practice tools and in language resources.
The State Government (n.d) has also invested in Inclusive Education Modules as a
professional development offering for kindergarten educators to support inclusion in
kindergartens. These modules are essential to assisting educators to enhance their knowledge of effective communication, inclusive behaviour and inclusive practices.
Internationally, countries such as New Zealand (NZ) and Canada have achieved positive outcomes through integrated and culturally responsive early childhood systems. New Zealand’s approach to supporting children under 8 years with mild to moderate developmental delay and their families is shaped by a National Policy framework, culturally specific programs, and best practice
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models. NZ Ministery of Education and Te Whatu Ora’s (Health NZ) Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Policy (Your Way, Kia Roha 2023) focuses on early identification and support for children aged 0 – 5 years with developmental delays. Services include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, psychology, and cultural support. Learning Support Action Plans are also embedded in the Te Whāriki early childhood curriculum and prioritises inclusion and tailored support for children with diverse learning needs (Ministry of Education 2024).
Additionally, the Disability Support Services (DSS), managed by the Ministry of Disabled People (Whaikaha), provides families access to services through the completion of a needs assessment and service coordination (NASC) without a referral (Disability Support Services 2024). The Ministry of Disabled People (Whaikaha 2022) adds to this support through the developed Autism Guideline (He Waka Huia Takiwātanga Rau) which provides best practice recommendations for supporting autistic children, many of whom may also have developmental delays.
Canada’s Family-Centered Service Model (King et al 2022), is recognised as best practice in Ontario. The model centers collaboration, respect, and empowerment in its key principles to enhance the quality of support for children with disabilities and their families. It acknowledges parents as experts on their child and offers culturally sensitive services, coaching, and peer support. Indigenous families can access culturally grounded programs such as the Aboriginal Infant Development Program. Families may self-refer or be referred by health professionals, ensuring accessible and inclusive pathways to support.
- Seamless Transitions Through Mainstream Systems Fragmented systems and lack of shared information can create barriers for children, families and caregivers navigating supports, particularly those with mild to moderate needs. This affects smooth transitions between services and reduces continuity of care.
To enable seamless transitions through mainstream systems for children with mild to moderate support needs, including those with developmental delay and/or autism, Australia should move toward a stepped-care model under the upcoming Thriving Kids initiative. This model aims to replace or complement NDIS access for children whose needs are better met through community-based, inclusive supports.
Recommendations
recommends:
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Resources offered to families and carers of children with a disability are inclusive and
accessible.
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Expand the availability of translated, culturally appropriate, and easy-read materials through co-designing these resources with First Nations people and multicultural communities. These resources should be made accessible by offering both digital and in person access.
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Funding should prioritise community led and localized support to enhance the capacity
of community-based services and tailor support for specific priority population groups.
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An equitable approach to funding allocation will work towards restoring and building trust and engagement with First Nations and multicultural communities as well as targeting community groups that cannot access mainstream services and supports.
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Strengthen existing systems in early childhood settings. -
Developmental screening must be embedded in all early childhood settings to
strengthen referral pathways and assist parents, guardians and care givers in the early detection of a disability.
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Early childhood officers should receive further professional development opportunities
to include and support children with developmental needs while having awareness of the cultural intricacies that may apply.
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Provide bridging support for children who fall between eligibility criteria of programs
like ISP and KIS while ensuring eligibility criteria are flexible and inclusive.
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Improving inclusive and equitable services and settings to remove barriers to early and
equitable access. Waitlists, cost and complex eligibility should not be a hurdle to receive support in Australia.
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Specialist services and early childhood services should have access to ongoing training in
cultural safety, be made aware of Commonwealth State-funded inclusion programs for referral and connection to specialist support particularly for children with mild to moderate needs. Removal of system barriers will enhance the likelihood of accessing crucial services and programs and improve continuity of provision.
- A National Capability Framework should be developed for profession, specifically professionals working with children under 8 years, to standardise cultural safety, inclusion and family-centered practices across all sectors. The development of a framework should be accompanied with incentives such as scholarships for priority population groups to improve development and retention, enhance diversity of
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professionals and inclusive practices; increasing the likelihood of early detection and
access to culturally appropriate resources.
Conclusion
Po believes that improving early identification and support for children and families requires a whole-of-system approach, centred_on equity, cultural safety, and
collaboration.
We urge the inquiry to prioritise workforce development, investment in community-led programs, integrated service delivery, system alignment, and inclusive and culturally responsive
practice to ensure that every child can have the opportunity to thrive.
REFERENCE LIST:
Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) 2024, AEDC Key Finding 2024, retrieved September 2025, < https://www.aedc.gov.au/resources/detail/aedc-key-findings-2024>
Atalell, K.A., Pereira, G, Duko, B, 2025, ‘Developmental vulnerability in children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Western Australia: a population-based study’, Vol. 21, pp. 744-754 < https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12519-025-00936-OHciteas >
Cole, M, Cann, R, Bourboulas, E, Davidson, K, Goodhue, B, Lacis, K 2025, Enabling Workforces
and Organisations for Thriving Kids: Implementation Guide for Child and Youth Workforce,
Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership; ARACY, retrieved September 2025, < https://tqkp.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Enab-Workforce
Org_ImplementationGuide_final_LowRes.pdf>
Disability Support Services 2024, Autism support services, retrieved September 2025, < https://www.disabilitysupport.govt.nz/disabled-people/support-and-services/specific disability-services/autism-support-services>
Children and Young People with Disability Australia 2025, NDIS eligibility reassessments: Views of children and young people with disability, parents and care givers: Summary of survey responses collected May 2025 , retrieved September 2025,
<REP NDISEligibilityReassessmentsSurvey Summary-Report Final 20250708.pdf>
ENVISAGE, n.d, About us: ENVISAGE, retrieved September 2025, https://envisage.community/about-us/
Green, A, DiGiacomo, M, Luckett, T, Abbott, P, Davidson, P.M, Delaney, J, Delaney, P, 2014 ‘Cross-sector collaborations in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander childhood disability: a systematic integrative review and theory-based synthesis’, International Journal for Equity in Health, vol. 13, no. 126, < https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-014-0126-y>
King G, King, S, Law, M, Kertoy, M, Rosenbaum, P, Hurley, P 2002, ‘Family-Centred Service in Ontario: A “Best Practice” Approach for Children with Disabilities and Their Families’, Can Child: Centre for Childhood Disability Research, retrieved September 2025, < https://canchild.ca/wp content/uploads/2025/03/FCSinbriefNov2002.pdf>
Mistry of Education 2024, Learning support in the early years, retrieved September 2025 < https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/early-learning/learning support/learning-support-early-years>
Play Connect+ n.d, About us: Play Connect +, retrieved September 2025 < https://www.playconnectplus.com.au/about>
aa State Government, n.d, Inclusion for children with disability- early childhood education
Whaikaha, Ministry of Disabled People 2022, ‘Aotearoa New Zealand Autism Guideline: He
Waka Huia Takiwatanga Rau’, Whaikaha, Ministry of Disabled People, retrieved September
2025, < https://www.whaikaha.govt.nz/assets/Autism-Guideline/Aotearoa-New-Zealand Autism-Guideline-Third-Edition.pdf >
Wong, H, Sheehan, J, Sung, V, Best, S, Leigh, G, 2025, ‘Cultural diversity in early hearing detection and intervention: service provider perspectives’, The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, Vol. 30, No. 3, Pp. 347-358, < https://academic.oup.com/jdsde/article/30/3/347/8071951>
Your Wau, Kia Roha 2023, Early intervention guide for preschoolers, retrieved September 2025, < https://www.yourwaykiaroha.nz/learning-information/online-information-hub/advice/early intervention-guide-for-preschoolers/>
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