ARACY welcomes the release of the Thriving Kids final report

In October last year, ARACY made a submission to Thriving Kids. We called for systemic, prevention-focused reform using The Nest framework, embedding equity, inclusion, and co-design to ensure all children thrive through holistic, early-intervention approaches.

Our Key recommendations included:

• Prevention and early intervention: Expand maternal nurse home visiting, link developmental checks to immunisations, and invest in public awareness campaigns.
• The Nest Wellbeing Domains: Apply a common language across sectors to ensure children are seen as whole people.
• Equity and inclusion: Partner with First Nations organisations, address intersectional needs, and recognise systemic trauma.
• Strengthen mainstream services: Resource Child and Family Hubs, build cross-sector capability, and ensure supports beyond age eight.
• Embed voices: Ensure co-design at every stage and act on lived experience.

On February 3^rd 2026, the final Thriving Kids report was released, and a press conference was held by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the Hon Mark Butler and Professor Frank Oberklaid, who co-chaired the Thriving Kids Advisory Group.

ARACY’s submission, the Advisory Group report, and the government’s announcement all align on the need for early, family-centred, prevention-focused support that is embedded in mainstream settings, reduces reliance on diagnosis, addresses inequity, and strengthens systems so children can thrive without falling into crisis pathways later.

We have broken down the alignment between the key points of our submission, the final report and the Government announcement:

1. Children need support before crisis or diagnosis

Shared position:

-Waiting for a formal diagnosis is slow, expensive, inequitable, and often harmful.

-Early support should not depend on a label.

Common framing:
Early, needs-based support is better for children and systems.

2. A family-centred approach works better than child-only interventions

Shared position:

-You can’t separate a child’s development from their family and environment.

-Supporting parents and carers is essential to supporting children.

Common framing:
Build family capability, not just child services. (Note: ARACY interprets ‘family’ to mean: the people responsible for the child’s care, safety, identity and belonging at that moment in time, therefore including orphaned children or children in care)

3. Prevention is smarter than remediation

Shared position:

-Investing early reduces long-term demand on costly systems.

-Current funding is skewed toward late, intensive intervention.

Common framing:
Prevention improves outcomes and system sustainability.

4. Mainstream settings should be the front line

Shared position:

-Support should be embedded where children already are.

-Specialist systems should complement, not replace, mainstream services.

Common framing:
Support children in everyday environments, not specialist silos.

5. A social model of disability is essential

Shared position:

-Many developmental challenges are created or worsened by systems and environments.

-Children should not have to “fail” to qualify for help.

Common framing:
Fix environments and systems, not just children.

6. Universal supports + targeted help when needed

Shared position:

-All families benefit from accessible information and parenting supports.

-Some families need additional, targeted assistance — without stigma.

Common framing:
Support everyone early, intensify help when risk or need emerges.

7. Equity matters — access should not depend on resources or location
   Shared position:

-Current systems advantage families with money, time, and literacy.

-Reforms must actively reduce structural inequities in access and outcomes.

Common framing:
Support should be available to all children and families, regardless of postcode, income, or other social factors.

8. Thriving Kids is system reform, not “just another program”

Shared position:

-This is about redesigning how supports work across portfolios.

-Long-term success depends on coordination, not fragmentation.

Common framing:
Fix the system children rely on — not add another layer.

(Note: AI was used to help identify common areas between the final report and the ARACY submission.)