Queensland refuses to sign up for federal "Thriving Kids" scheme amid concerns of cost‑shifting and inadequate support

In a development that underscores the growing disjunction between Canberra’s ambitions for a nationally coordinated early‑intervention framework and the practical realities faced by state health systems, Queensland health minister Tim Nicholls publicly reiterated that his state will not endorse the federal government’s Thriving Kids program until it can demonstrate that the proposed transfer of children under nine with mild developmental delays and autism away from the National Disability Insurance Scheme will not result in a short‑changed service model or an unjust fiscal burden on state budgets.

The minister’s remarks, delivered amid a broader national conversation about the restructuring of disability and early‑childhood services, highlighted that Queensland remains the sole jurisdiction that has not yet signed a memorandum of understanding for the scheme, which the Commonwealth projects will be fully operational by 2028, and he warned that the lack of a comprehensive, state‑level guarantee of adequate support could leave vulnerable families exposed to gaps in care precisely at a stage where early intervention is most critical.

By emphasizing that the Commonwealth’s approach appears to shift financial responsibility to the states without first ensuring that the replacement framework can meet the nuanced needs of children with developmental challenges, Nicholls underscored a broader systemic tension in which policy aspirations are pursued in the absence of a guaranteed funding model, thereby risking a scenario where the very populations the program purports to assist may ultimately receive inferior services due to budgetary shortfalls and administrative fragmentation.

While the federal government continues to promote the initiative as a streamlined, ambitious solution to the perceived inefficiencies of the NDIS for younger children, the Queensland stance serves as a cautionary indicator that without robust intergovernmental assurances and a clear, equitable financing structure, the promised benefits may remain largely theoretical, leaving the promised “thriving” of children in a state of policy limbo.

Published: April 29, 2026

Published: April 29, 2026