Kid Link Occupational Therapy

06/02/2026

I’ve hesitated giving an update on Thriving Kids because, if I’m honest, I don’t know how to balance facts with frustrations in a way that is constructive.

But I’ll do my best. I’ll start with facts (or what I think I know today), follow with some key questions my team and I have, highlight our commitment and end with my request of the government in an effort to provide some transparency and reassurance during this time of change and uncertainty.

The facts (for now…based on current announcements):

▪️National Cabinet has committed approximately $4 billion over 5 years to the new Thriving Kids program.
▪️The program is expected to commence 1 October 2026 and be fully rolled out by 1 January 2028.
▪️State governments will deliver the majority of services, managing both their funding contribution ($2b) and the federal service-delivery component ($1.4b). This makes the introduction of new Medicare therapy items unlikely, with remaining federal funding ($600m) largely focused on national oversight and evaluation.
▪️Children aged 0–8 currently on the NDIS are reported to remain participants under existing NDIS eligibility and review arrangements.
▪️Until 1 January 2028, children aged 0–8 identified with developmental delay or disability can reportedly continue to seek access to the NDIS under current eligibility processes.
▪️From 2028, children aged 0–8 with “significant and permanent disability” are expected to continue accessing the NDIS.
▪️From 2028, the NDIS eligibility will change and children with “developmental delay and/or Autism with low to moderate support needs” are expected to receive supports through Thriving Kids instead.

Whilst it appears the roll out will take 15 months, we know families are already have supports removed or reduced.

Proposed Thriving Kids supports:

▫️Identification pathways through primary care (e.g. GPs) and early childhood services
▫️Parenting programs, peer supports (e.g. through play groups), and information services
▫️Targeted allied health supports for those with moderate support needs (e.g. occupational therapy and speech pathology).

There has been limited details about therapy however the advisory group report suggested “single discipline approaches” (e.g. just speech therapy) or “multiple forms of intervention” and “key worker approaches” being delivered in “cummunity-based hubs”, schools or ECEC for those with moderate needs.

We are hesitant about a heavy shift toward generic programs and early intervention delivered primarily within education systems by imbedded therapists working in silos.

Schools and educators play an essential role, but therapy that is directed by education systems rather than by the families limits flexibility, reduces parent involvement, and shift goals away from meaningful participation outcomes. This has huge short and long term implications. Families deserve clarity about how they will remain central to their child’s therapy journey.

We have lots of concerns and questions, especially when it comes to actual therapeutic intervention including:
❓How will “low–moderate” vs “significant” support needs actually be determined, and who will make those decisions?
❓How much therapy will children realistically be able to access under Thriving Kids given the low budget and will this mostly be in schools and ECEC?
❓Will families still be able to choose their trusted providers or will “in-residence” therapists be imbedded in schools as reported in the Advisory Group Final Report?
❓How will potential conflicts between educational priorities and family-centred therapy goals be managed, particularly if the therapist is funded through the school?
❓How will multiple complex non school related goals be addressed? Just because a child has “lower” “support needs”, does not mean they don’t experience significant participation challenges such as School Can’t.
❓How will best practice parent coaching and capacity building be delivered (this is VERY different to parenting programs)?
❓How will “Thriving Kids Providers” be selected? Will it be open tenders or invite only like other recent tender opportunities?

OUR COMMITMENT:
Regardless of policy changes, our commitment remains the same: to support families, advocate where needed, and develop our services (without compromising our values) so children continue to receive meaningful, functional support from exceptional Occupational Therapists. We know systems change but our focus on children, families, and sustainable outcomes will not.

We will continue to prioritise families, adapt and innovate our service offerings, so that we can continue to achieve meaningful outcomes.

WHAT WE ARE ASKING OF GOVERNMENT:
We urge the Government to reach out to the many experienced early-intervention providers already supporting families in the community.

Even if providers are expected to work with limited resources, family-centred early-intervention teams are best positioned to deliver flexible, evidence-based supports that families need.

Please don’t underestimate us, our expertise, or how much we care about the work we do alongside families. Please trust us when we say this… You need us. 💪🏼

Jackie Sikic
Director and Occupational Therapist

04/02/2026

Many parents have asked what the 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙞𝙙𝙨 / 𝙉𝙤 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙇𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝘽𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 report could mean for families.

Kids First founder, Sonja Walker, has reviewed the 80,000-word document released today and below are some of the key areas we have raised with our local MP for parliamentary discussion.

It's important to note that the intention behind the report is a positive one. Everyone wants children to get the right support earlier and to see better outcomes over time.

We’re sharing our feedback because we’re concerned that some of the recommendations rely on assumptions that don’t always reflect family life on the ground, and that the real-world impact for children and parents hasn’t been fully considered.

𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

The report recommends increasing access to information, resources and online programs to build parent capacity.
Many parents already know what their child finds hard. What’s often missing is time, energy and hands-on support to turn advice into real change at home, school and in the community. Online programs can be helpful, but they don’t replace skilled professionals working alongside children and families over time.

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲

The report suggests that parent capacity can be expanded indefinitely through access to education and online programs.
In reality, many parents are already carrying a heavy load. Between work, siblings, appointments, school meetings and daily challenges, families are doing their best with limited reserves. Expecting parents to absorb even more responsibility without enough professional support risks burnout and could leave children without the help they need.

𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 “𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗱” 𝗼𝗿 “𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲”

The report relies on terms such as “mild to moderate” developmental delay or autism to guide decisions.
These labels don’t always match daily life, and they do not reflect clinical practice. Children described as “mild” can still struggle significantly with learning, friendships, behaviour, sleep, toileting or emotions. When decisions rely on labels rather than how a child functions day to day, some children miss early support at the point it could make the biggest difference.

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

The report often refers to large Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) as the primary voice of best practice and service delivery.
Many of these organisations hold charitable status, which gives them access to funding structures, tax exemptions, grants and pilot program opportunities that smaller providers simply don’t have. This allows them to trial new models, absorb financial risk and operate at scale in ways that are not possible for most local services.

However, many of these organisations no longer operate consistently within local communities. (The NGO that Sonja once served as a Board member, Lifestart, moved out of the northern beaches years ago to redirect supports to other areas of Sydney.) When this kind of thing happens, families rely heavily on smaller, local services that know their child, their school and their area, and who can respond flexibly as needs change. These relationships are built over time and are central to effective support. If local services that are dedicated to their community disappear, that trust and knowledge can’t be replaced quickly or easily.

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲

The report implies that private or unregistered providers are more 'transactional' or higher risk than NGOs.
In reality, private practice clinicians are regulated by exactly the same professional bodies and bound by the same strict codes of conduct as NGOs. Many experienced therapists choose not to register with the NDIS because of cost and complexity, not because of poor or unethical practice. This distinction matters to families who depend on these services. We encourage the Thriving Kids committee to ask the question: 'If 92% of NDIS providers are unregistered, why is this so?'

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The report supports mandatory registration without clearly outlining a timeframe or how services will transition safely. There are insufficient resources in the sector to allow this to happen, even with a January 2028 floated as a 'done by date'.
If changes are introduced too quickly, some local services may be forced to close. Families won’t simply move elsewhere, because there often isn’t anywhere else to go. Once local services are lost, rebuilding them is extremely difficult.

𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀

The report focuses heavily (and rightly so) on the challenges that are experienced by families living in Australia's regional and rural areas - however it also assumes that children in metropolitan areas have enough services and capacity.
City families face the same workforce shortages, waitlists and burnout as regional areas. Many parents already ration therapy or go without support because services are stretched.

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆

The report assumes the workforce can expand quickly to support new models of care.
Therapists take years to train, and many experienced clinicians are leaving the sector due to workload and uncertainty. New systems can’t succeed unless there are enough skilled people available to deliver care.
Switching responsibility to educators, teachers and schools is not the answer to these challenges. Educators are already stretched and are not trained or resourced to provide disability-specific assessment or intervention. Expecting them to fill workforce gaps risks pushing people beyond their scope, increasing pressure in classrooms, and leaving children without the specialised support they need.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

Support for children isn’t just about programs or policy frameworks. 𝗜𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. 𝗜𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆.

𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲) 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. Without careful planning, broad consultation and agreement across systems, there is a real risk that well-intentioned changes could unintentionally make things harder for the very children they aim to support.

23/01/2026

💻Free online workshop for parents run by ACD - Advocating for children with disability
🏫Just in time for school getting started!

💜 Working with your child’s school – free online workshop

School can be overwhelming for families of children with developmental delay and disability. This workshop will help you feel confident and prepared.

Join our workshop to learn:
🔹 What Student Support Group (SSG) meetings are
🔹Your child’s rights in education
🔹How to advocate for your child
🔹What reasonable adjustments you can ask for

Watch the video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_khHpaNcwE

📅 From 16 February
🖥 Online via Zoom
💜 Led by parents with lived experience

✨ Families say:
“Relatable presenters, great practical strategies”
“Helpful examples and resources I didn’t know existed”

Book your spot now – spaces are limited!
👉 https://bit.ly/WWCSFebPosts

16/01/2026

The Current Grant Opportunity List contains all current Grant Opportunities (GOs) open for application. GOs are sorted by default with those closing soonest at the top, and those that are ongoing at the end of the list. The list sort order can be changed by selecting a different sort option by click...

08/01/2026

Hi everyone - a quick update to let you know our email system is temporarily offline. We’re onto it and expect it to be sorted soon. If you need anything, please call (03) 9879 7019 and we’ll support you as best we can.
Thanks so much for your patience.
Jackie & the KL team

14/12/2025

Merry Christmas from the KL crew! ✨

Kid Link OT will be closed from 12th December to 5th January.

See you in the new year!

12/12/2025

It’s not that complicated. Families are asking for five clear things that lead to real outcomes; continuity, co-design, neuro-affirming supports, flexible, community-based services, and equity of access.

https://theconversation.com/if-parents-designed-the-new-thriving-kids-program-itd-look-like-this-271182?fbclid=IwZnRzaAOpZqpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEei2cSXinUyrMjl5nM1jFajakAYWJyWt9aCC_QCe-z4Q0R0joJ8oqqbNCrjz0_aem_MNaE_L6HK3g6PqWbyFy4FA

A new survey shows parents and carers have strong ideas about how a program for kids with disability could be designed.

04/12/2025

The Australian Financial Review has claimed there is “no evidence that NDIS therapies help kids thrive”. This is blatant misinformation and we’re grateful to Speech Pathology Australia for speaking out. We expect more professional bodies will follow.

Allied health professionals, including OTs and speech pathologists, are credentialed, regulated and bound by evidence-based standards. Suggesting therapy is not effective ignores the real issues families and providers have been raising for years.

If outcomes have fallen short, it is because:

-Severe workforce shortages mean long waitlists and inconsistent access to therapy.

-Experienced clinicians are leaving NDIS work due to unsustainable pay and conditions.

-Reduced funding leaves families with far fewer therapy hours than needed.

-Planners without clinical qualifications allocate funds based on opinion, not evidence, leaving children without essential supports.

-Price freezes and travel cuts make services unviable, forcing providers to reduce community visits and cancel groups and parent training.

-Outcome measurement processes are inadequate. No one at NDIA has ever requested our data.

The NDIA must take accountability for internal mismanagement and the lack of robust quality assurance.

Regulated providers are not the ones failing families.

The real issues are lack of consultation, poor co-design, inadequate data collection, rushed reforms, slap dash cost cutting and selective reporting.

Ask our families:
Has therapy helped them understand their child’s diagnosis?
Supported meaningful goals?
Improved participation in daily life?
Likely reduced long term costs?
The answer is yes.

Are families “thriving”? Not yet.
Surviving? Barely.
Making progress despite system failures? Absolutely.

Children with disability continue to be scapegoated as “costly” instead of recognised as Australians with rights. And even if we looked only at cost, which we should not, the economic benefits of early intervention are clear and undisputed.

Enough with blaming providers.

Stop, listen, consult properly and fix what is broken inside the system. Decision making seats cannot remain reserved for those least likely to speak hard truths.

For goodness* sake.

*Not the actual language used when I saw the article 🤬

-Jackie Sikic

Australia is pumping infinite money into supply-constrained markets such as disability and childcare, while the government also mandates and helps fund hefty wage increases in these sectors.

29/11/2025

Thank you Pip from All Together Therapy for advocating for both fair access and quality support for families, and providers who value outcome-driven best practice. We’re with you!

This week I attended the Thriving Kids deep dive on behalf of Professionals Australia and raised critical issues on behalf of allied health professionals, families, and children.
Key points we highlighted:
🔵GP-led access won’t work — especially in regional/remote areas. Families often don’t have a consistent GP, many have closed books or long wait times, and trust is essential before sharing concerns.
🔵Protect the existing workforce. Predominantly women, mothers, many neurodivergent or disabled. Credentialling and funding must not exclude experienced practitioners, and private practices must be recognised for their central role.
🔵Children outside “typical” settings must not be missed. Many are not in ECEC or school; supports must be accessible before families reach these systems.
🔵 Programs must be co-designed with disability community oversight valuing lived experience at all stages of planning and implementation. Not just health, professional or education stakeholders.
🔵Follow the Best Practice Framework. Evidence-informed care must balance research, practitioner expertise, and lived experience—not generic, predetermined programs.
🔵Supports must align with the social and human rights model of disability. We must avoid replicating medical-model approaches used in health departments or behavioural models currently used in schools.
🔵Children need the right supports, not “one-size-fits-all.” For example, a child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech requires targeted Speech Pathology, not a key worker—high-quality early intervention matters. Supports must acknowledge the needs of the child across all areas of their lives.
🔵Supports must be trauma-aware, local, flexible and culturally safe. Many families cannot access GPs, ECEC or CFHN clinics; multiple community-based pathways are essential.
❤️We’ll continue advocating for a Thriving Kids model that is evidence-informed, genuinely codesigned, grounded in the social and human rights model of disability, and ensures every child can access the supports they need—when they need them. We acknowledge the importance that every service be supported to become culturally safe and that First Nations children and communities need First Nations led, community-controlled services.

22/10/2025

Today, Jackie Sikic, Tristan Nickless, Christine Kendall, Melinda Schambre, and Kim Drever met with the Federal Member for Deakin, Matt Gregg.
Matt listened and asked thoughtful questions as we shared our current challenges and concerns as local clinicians and business owners supporting more than 1,500 families and numerous schools in his electorate.

We advocated for the children already being removed from the NDIS before Thriving Kids is ready, outlined what the program truly needs to achieve meaningful outcomes and reflect best practice, and raised our major concerns about the sustainability of quality providers following ongoing price freezes and travel cuts.

Thank you for your time, .
We continue to hope that the voices of families and therapists on the ground will be heard by the Government and the NDIA.
We want nothing more than to provide the support and therapy that children with developmental delays and disabilities need. 💜

16/10/2025

Anxiety can show up in many different ways, from specific fears to panic attacks or constant worries.
Swipe through to learn about the key types of anxiety disorders, as mentioned in the DSM-5.

24/09/2025

Hi Kid Link Families 👋🏼

At Kid Link, we’re always looking for ways to improve our services and ensure we’re meeting the needs of every child and family we support.

We’d love it if you could take a few minutes to complete our short satisfaction survey. Your feedback helps us understand what’s working well and where we can do better, so we can continue to provide the BEST OT SERVICE POSSIBLE 😉

👉 Complete the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FBF9JQ9

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Jackie and the Kid Link OT Team 💜💚🧡

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.