The NSW Government is inviting local families, carers, educators and service providers to have their say on a new initiative designed to give young children with developmental delay or autism a stronger start in life.
The Foundational Supports for Children program is being shaped through statewide consultation, with upcoming sessions scheduled in Armidale and Tamworth.
The program focuses on children under nine with low to moderate support needs, aiming to help children reach developmental milestones, build social skills, and strengthen emotional, physical and mental health. It also seeks to give parents, carers, kin and service providers better access to clear, practical information about how to understand and support children’s needs.
Consultation sessions are running across the state between August and November. In Armidale, a session will be held on Monday, 13 October, and in Tamworth on Tuesday, 14 October. Both sessions are open to all community members, with registration required.
Federal Minister for Disability and the NDIS, The Honourable Mark Butler, spoke last month at the National Press Club about the importance of ensuring people with disability and their families are at the centre of change.
“The Productivity Commission in its original 2011 report was crystal clear that the NDIS was never intended to meet the needs of all people with disability, let alone all Australians,” he said.
Mr Butler reminded his audience that the original purpose of the NDIS was, “the provision of support ‘to people with significant and permanent care and support needs’.”
He went on to discuss how the NDIS is not the place for support for children with developmental delays or autism and announced the ‘Thriving Kids’ initiative, a $2 billion Commonwealth commitment to support children aged 0-8 with mild to moderate developmental delay or autism.
“Tens and tens of thousands of young children with mild to moderate developmental delay or autism are on a scheme set up for permanent disability. I doubt very much this is what most of their parents really wanted or expected. But it’s all they’ve had available – the only port in the storm, if you like.”
“Parents need to be supported much better, because we know that children have the best chance to thrive when their families feel well supported. Parents and families need guidance to access well-curated, evidence-based support and therapy – most of which existed long before the NDIS,” he said.
These words echo the purpose of the consultation on foundational supports. By gathering input directly from families, carers, educators and service providers, the NSW Government hopes to build services that reflect the lived experience of those who rely on them most.
For those who cannot attend in person, six online webinars are also planned, along with targeted sessions for First Nations communities led by Aboriginal facilitators. An advisory group made up of disability advocacy organisations, service providers and peak bodies will provide further guidance to ensure the process is informed by expertise from across the sector.
For communities in Armidale and Tamworth, the October consultations are a chance to make local voices heard in shaping the future of early support for children with developmental delay and autism.
To book your place visit the NSW Department of Communities and Justice website.
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