Federal Health Minister Mark Butler denounces Queensland over Thriving Kids refusal

A frustrated federal Health Minister Mark Butler has denounced the Queensland government over its refusal to sign up for the Thriving Kids program, a week before the first phase of the NDIS alternative for some children is set to begin.

Announced last August, Thriving Kids is a pillar of the federal government's efforts to curb spending on the $51 billion NDIS, and will see states and territories provide services for children under nine with developmental delay or autism who have "low to moderate" support needs.

Queensland's Liberal National government has held out on signing up, accusing the Albanese government of cost shifting and failing to explain important information about the program, including how "low to moderate" support needs would be defined.

But with the first phase of the program set to begin on October 1, Mr Butler said time was running out.

"All other states and territories, Liberal and Labor alike, [are] just getting on with the business of developing their programs. So I'm frustrated with Queensland; it's a big state with a dispersed community," he told the ABC.

"We're losing time, frankly, for Queensland parents and children."

Earlier this year, the premiers and chief ministers of all states and territories, including Queensland, agreed to set up "foundational supports" outside the NDIS, such as Thriving Kids, in exchange for $25 billion in hospital funding from the Commonwealth.

Most of those jurisdictions have started tender processes and set aside money in their most recent state budgets.

"[Queensland] signed the grand bargain," Mr Butler said.

"They're receiving substantial additional hospital funding … money is available for parents to receive these services in Queensland, as very soon they will be just south of the border in New South Wales and in every other state and territory."

Autism Association of Australia CEO Nicole Rogerson said it was "not OK" that Queensland was yet to formally commit to Thriving Kids.

"The sheer audacity of Queensland just saying 'I'm not prepared to be involved' is sort of shocking. I understand they're trying to make a political point, but there are families, real children at the end of this that won't have services in the state of Queensland," she said.

A spokesperson for Queensland's Acting Disability Minister Ros Bates said the state government's concerns remained.

"Not only for young people who may fall through cracks in the system, but also for those vulnerable Queenslanders who have relied on the NDIS since it was established more than a decade ago to provide support for those in need," they said.

"We have repeatedly outlined our concerns about the Commonwealth walking away from vulnerable Australians, without providing long-term funding support."

Major questions remain

The first phase of Thriving Kids will focus on "general supports" such as online parenting courses and information resources including phone lines.

"Targeted supports", such as therapies in schools, will then gradually roll out, with full implementation set to be complete by January 2028, when the government intends for new NDIS eligibility rules to be in place.

Many in the disability community fear Thriving Kids will not adequately support children with moderate needs, that parenting courses will not be effective, and that already exhausted parents will be shouldering additional responsibilities.

Questions also remain about what will happen to children within Thriving Kids once they turn nine.

Mr Butler told the ABC talks were starting with the states over the development of non-NDIS supports for other groups.

"We've started that process with states at an official level … we've got to develop foundational support programs for children over the age of nine and for adult cohorts who might not end up being on the NDIS, for example, adults with psychosocial disability," he said.

"When [Education Minister] Jason Clare and I meet with school principals to talk about these issues, a message that comes to me from them, using their words, is we need a 'Thriving Teens' program."

Ms Rogerson said it was too early to be thinking about something like that when Thriving Kids was still so far away from being fully operational.

"The kinds of supports we give very small children with autism are very different when children are above age nine," she said.