Families Supporting Families

17/04/2026

Norman Kunc & Emma Van der Klift's video, "A Credo for Suppport" - spoken by members of San Luis Obispo People First. Order DVD from SpecialNeedsProject.com ...

17/04/2026

Ready to move beyond basic care and build stronger support worker relationships?

Join us for Beyond the Roster as we explore ways to establish strong foundations that lead to purposeful support and meaningful community inclusion.

Not long to go now, so follow the link below and register today!

👉https://events.humanitix.com/beyond-the-roster

Image description: 'Beyond the Roster', '2-Part Online Series', 'Dates: 21st and 28th April 2026', Time: 6.45pm to 8.15pm AEST' written in white font against navy background on left-side. 'Spaces are filling fast! Book your ticket today!' written in bold white font against pink box. Image on right of two young men. Man on left, Rak, wears a black top with white images and writing on it, a dark cap, has stubble and is smiling while looking at a postcard that Mike is holding up to show him. On the right, Mike wears a black t-shirt with 'SNUB' written on the front with a cartoon image and a cap that has SNUB written on it in lime green. Mike has a beard and is talking. They are in a record store surrounded by music and band posters. A man with long blondish hair, a black t-shirt with yellow print on, sits on a chair in the background.

16/04/2026

Minister, the assurance that the NDIS will always be there for people with "permanent and significant Disabilities" in conversation with Aspect - Autism Spectrum Australia - published today by the charity and service provider - does not align with what your policy is doing in practice.

As a Disabled People's Rep Org who are all over the issue, we know that the majority of children being redirected into Thriving Kids are Autistic children assessed at Level 2 under the DSM. That means requiring substantial support.

These are children with:

> marked communication differences

> significant functional impacts across daily life

> and a clear need for ongoing, structured support to participate in education and community life.

Autism is lifelong. These support needs are enduring and serious: in other words, permanent, and significant.

Under section 24 of the NDIS Act, a person meets the disability requirements where they have a permanent impairment that results in substantially reduced functional capacity.

Under section 25, they must also be likely to benefit from early intervention that would improve their functional capacity across their lifetime.

Level 2 Autism meets both tests.

So the issue is *not* whether these children qualify. We know they do.

The issue is that they are being diverted out of a statutory scheme and into non statutory programs, where support is discretionary, capped, and not enforceable.

That is not a neutral pathway change. It is the removal of a legal entitlement, without having been debated in Parliament or provided for in law, and against strong public opposition.

Importantly, this is being done without an evidentiary foundation, and without the consent or endorsement of Australia's Disabled People's Organisations - in breach of Article 4 (3) of the UNCRPD.

And the consequences are immediate. Reduced therapy, longer waitlists, missed early intervention are already happening. Increased pressure on families is already building, and fast. Thriving Kids will not relieve that pressure on Disabled children and the families that support them.

Changing the pathway does not change the child. It changes whether they can access support at all.

If children who meet both section 24 and section 25 are being moved out of the NDIS, then it is not accurate to say the scheme will always be there for people with permanent and significant disabilities.

Thriving Kids children *are the kids intended for the Scheme* under the core purposes outlined in the NDIS Act. They belong there. It is their right.

Why does the Federal government feel so entitled to take money from the hands of children who need it -
..and exactly where will it be spent instead?

16/04/2026

Lots happening tomorrow for Youth Week!

16/04/2026

Yesterday’s outing to see The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was lots of fun! 🌟

We are very grateful to Port Waratah Coal Services and Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group for supporting this event, enabling 40 members to enjoy an awesome movie complete with popcorn and drinks. 🙏

A special thank you to Belinda for running this event, and to the staff at Event Cinemas, Glendale for their help! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

It was great to welcome several new members. Thank you to everyone who came along! 😊

*some participants prefer not to be photographed for privacy reasons.

Image description: Photos from Families Supporting Families outing to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The first image is of the movie poster. The second photo shows a group of parents and children standing in front of the poster. They are smiling and looking at the camera. The second photo shows 4 young men in front of the movie poster, smiling for the camera.

15/04/2026

Celebrating Young People in Our Community

We’re excited to be part of the action TOMORROW at Newcastle Foreshore for NSW Youth Week!

Thursday 16 April
10am – 2pm

Come down for a fun-filled day with heaps of FREE activities, including:
🔥 Bungee trampoline
🧗 Rock wall
🎡 Rides, art & prizes
📸 Photobooth
👕 Free Youth Week t-shirts

It’s a great chance to connect, get creative, and meet the amazing youth services supporting our community.

We’ll be there too – come say hey 👋

Find out more about local youth services here: https://hubs.li/Q04bTTbB0

15/04/2026

Do you wish you knew more about how to access your rights and supports when it comes to decision making about your health?

Are you free between 11:00 and 1:00 this Friday?

Join CDAH this week for our next Disability Hub Workshop: 'Just Include me and My Health Matters'. 🏥💓

The workshop will be at the Wallsend Library and run by the Council for Intellectual Disability (CID) alongside CDAH. It will cover your right to make decisions, making more decisions on your own, how to get support to make decisions and it will include a guide to the 'My Health Matters' folder.

15/04/2026

14/04/2026

13/04/2026

Celebrate Youth Week at Newcastle Museum, with our FREE Future Makers event where you can Dream. Dare. Do.

What's happening?
🎸 Live music with Rose White, Evan Worgan and Filthy E & the Clean Teens
🎨 Art making activities
🎮 Gaming Hub
🍕 Food and drinks
🛹 Skateboarding lessons
🎉 Plus so much more!

Friday 17 April, 1:30-5pm, for ages 12-25 years, FREE, drop-in event!

Find all the details at: https://bit.ly/4vnh5a1

Future Makers artwork by

Newcastle Museum is supported by Create NSW.

11/04/2026

10/04/2026

Learn more and register at: https://newcastle.nsw.gov.au/living/transport-and-parking/cycling/cycling-courses

School holiday boredom? We've got high school students covered with 9 FREE workshops across Newcastle!

Bike School workshops will help students build confidence on two wheels, while our art workshops, led by a talented local artist, invite students to create their own artwork inspired by their journey to school as part of the “I heart my way to school” competition.

Here's what's coming up:

🛠️ Tue 14 April, 9.30am–1pm – DIY Maintenance, Carrington Community Hall
🚲 Thu 16 April & Sun 19 April, 10am–1pm – City Riding, starting near Tighes Hill TAFE
🎨 Tue 14, Wed 15 & Thu 16 April – Art workshops (10am–12pm & 2pm–4pm), Hudson Street Hum, Hamilton.

Spots are limited, registrations are essential, and it gets them out of the house 🫡 Check the link in the comments for more info and to register.

Proudly funded by the NSW Government.