ACT Government faces questions over Thriving Kids program readiness
An ACT legislator won approval to release government documents. These are about Thriving Kids startup issues.
The ACT government started a new Thriving Kids program on October 1st, which helps children up to eight who have developmental delays and disabilities. Opposition and Crossbench MLAs demanded figures on waiting times, wanting to know how many children are receiving support and staffing details.
The government has not yet released these figures. The government says the rollout is staged with full implementation running through January 2028.
Canberra Liberals MLA Peter Cain said his office called the Thriving Kids hotline last week and was sent to a local Child and Family Centre instead. The government said existing child development staff would move into Thriving Kids, with new clinical hires beginning in January 2027.
Greens MLA Laura Nuttall and Independent MLA Fiona Carrick warned that early help only works when support actually exists. The government defended the rollout, saying staged implementation was always the plan.
- October 1
- Program launch date
- Up to 8 years
- Age group served
- January 2027
- Clinical hiring begins
- January 2028
- Full implementation deadline
Why it mattersFamilies needing support for children with developmental delays need to know whether they can access services in reasonable timeframes.
AustraliaACT families supporting children with developmental delays face uncertainty about wait times and service availability under the new Thriving Kids program.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 1 h ago
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