08/05/2026
🚨 URGENT UPDATE: Thriving Kids NSW EXCLUDES PRIVATE PRACTICES 🚨
Did you know that this week the NSW Government announced details about who will be able to provide targeted therapy services under the new Thriving Kids program for children aged 8 years and under with “mild to moderate” developmental delay and Autism?
Why does this matter to families?
Right now, many of these children access support through the NDIS, which means families have CHOICE about who provides their therapy.
You might choose to see Joanna, Kathleen, Jenny or Kelly here at Bidgee OT Collective. You might choose another therapist or service that feels right for your child and family. That choice matters.
In Wagga, MOST highly experienced allied health professionals work within PRIVATE PRACTICE — including Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists, Exercise Physiologists, Podiatrists, Educators, Social Workers and more.
However, Thriving Kids NSW has now announced that PRIVATE PRACTICES will NOT be invited to provide services under the program.
From October this year, children who are not already accessing the NDIS, but who meet Thriving Kids criteria, may no longer be able to choose a local private provider for therapy support.
Instead, services will only be delivered through Government agencies and Non-Government Not-for-Profit Organisations.
This means families in our region risk losing access to an incredible depth of local expertise, experience, innovation and relationship-based care that private practitioners have spent years building within our community.
Our local private practitioners have dedicated themselves to supporting children and families, collaborating across disciplines, investing in specialist skills, and creating responsive services tailored to local needs.
To exclude private practitioners from this model is, at best, short-sighted — and at worst, risks compromising outcomes for children and families.
We believe families deserve:
✔️ Choice
✔️ Access to local expertise
✔️ Continuity of care
✔️ The right to work with the providers who best meet their child’s needs
We will be advocating strongly for families and private practitioners to continue working together through genuine choice and inclusion.
Who will stand with us?
Email your concerns directly to [email protected]
Comment below and we will include examples in our submission to Thriving Kids NSW.
or speak with our local members (Federal and State) as this is a joint government initiative.
