Early childhood approach

What is the NDIS early childhood approach?

The NDIS early childhood approach is the way the NDIS supports children younger than 6 with developmental delay, or younger than 9 with disability, and their families. It is delivered by early childhood partners: local organisations with early childhood professionals who give families information, connect them with community and mainstream services, offer short-term early supports, and help them apply to the NDIS when a child is likely to be eligible. Children younger than 6 don't need a diagnosis to get help.

The approach was previously called ECEI (Early Childhood Early Intervention), and many families and providers still use that name. The NDIA has also expanded the age range from children younger than 7 to children younger than 9 (NDIA: the age of children supported is changing).

The idea behind the approach is simple: getting the right help early, in a child's everyday life, can make a lasting difference. Not every child with a developmental concern needs an NDIS plan; many do well with guidance, community programs and a short burst of early support.

How the early childhood approach works

A family can contact an early childhood partner directly — no referral or diagnosis is needed for a child younger than 6 with developmental concerns. According to the NDIA's guide to the early childhood approach, the partner talks with the family about their child and the different ways they can get support. That can include:

• Connections with community and mainstream supports, such as playgroups, child health nurses, early learning services and community health.
• Practical information that's relevant to the child's development.
• Connections with other families.
• Early supports for children younger than 6 with developmental concerns: a short-term program designed to build the capacity of the child and family and promote everyday learning.
• Help to apply to the NDIS if the child has developmental delay or an impairment that is likely to meet the eligibility requirements.

If the child becomes an NDIS participant, the family then works with the NDIS on a plan, and the partner can help them understand and use it.

The two eligibility pathways for young children

Children in the early childhood approach usually become participants through one of two routes:

Children who joined under the developmental delay criteria are usually no longer eligible under those criteria after they turn 6, so their eligibility is checked again around then.

What early childhood partners do (and don't do)

Early childhood partners are funded by the NDIA. They are the equivalent of local area coordinators for children younger than 9. They don't approve NDIS plans or funding — the NDIA does that — and families don't pay for their help from a plan.

Best practice in early childhood intervention, which the approach is built on, focuses on:

• Family-centred practice: parents and carers are partners and the main people who help a child learn.
• Everyday settings: support delivered at home, in childcare, kindergarten and the community, where children spend their time.
• Teamwork: professionals working together, often with one main contact for the family, sometimes called a key worker.
• Building capacity: helping families build skills so progress continues between sessions.

Early childhood approach vs Thriving Kids and other terms

2026 added a new program alongside the NDIS. Thriving Kids is the Australian Government's program for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs. According to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Thriving Kids supports began a phased rollout from 1 October 2026 and are due to be fully rolled out by 1 January 2028.

What's changing for families (2026–2028)

The NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 passed Parliament on 19 August 2026 and is now law. According to the department:

• There are no changes to NDIS access until 1 January 2028. Until then, the NDIS continues to support children through the early childhood approach, and families apply in the same way.
• From 1 January 2028, the government has said children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism and low to moderate support needs will be supported by Thriving Kids instead of the NDIS.
• Children with permanent and significant disability, and children with developmental delay and/or autism who have substantially reduced functional capacity (high support needs), will remain eligible for the NDIS.
• Children enrolled before 1 January 2028 with developmental delay and/or autism and low to moderate needs will be reassessed under the eligibility criteria in place before that date.

Rules and processes are still being finalised, so check the department's Thriving Kids pages and ndis.gov.au before relying on a date for an individual child.

What providers working with young children need to know

• Registration and standards. Registered providers of early childhood supports are audited against the Early Childhood Supports module of the NDIS Practice Standards, on top of the core module.
• Work with the family, in everyday settings. Plans and reports should show how you build the family's capacity and how strategies fit into daily routines.
• Report on functional outcomes. Progress reports that describe what the child can now do in daily life help the family at plan reassessment and, for developmental delay, around age 6. Clear session notes help; the free progress note writer can structure them.
• Travel and pricing. Early childhood therapy is priced under therapy rules, including provider travel limits; check current items in the NDIS price guide.
• Plan for Thriving Kids. Some families will move to Thriving Kids supports rather than NDIS plans. Keep up with the department's provider information so you can explain options honestly.

Questions families can ask an early childhood partner

The first conversation goes further when you come with questions. Useful ones include:

• What community or mainstream services near us could help right now, before any NDIS decision?
• Is my child eligible for early supports, and how long would they run?
• Is my child likely to meet the NDIS early intervention or disability requirements, and what evidence would help?
• How can strategies fit into our daily routines, childcare or kindergarten?
• If my child joins the NDIS under developmental delay, what happens as they approach 6?
• How might Thriving Kids affect my child, and when?

Write down the answers and who you spoke to. If your child later needs an NDIS plan, those notes help you explain what has already been tried.

Common misunderstandings

• "You need a diagnosis first." Not for children younger than 6 with developmental concerns.
• "The early childhood approach is only for NDIS participants." Many children get help without ever needing a plan.
• "Thriving Kids replaced the NDIS for all children from October 2026." It didn't. NDIS access doesn't change until 1 January 2028, and children with high support needs remain eligible after that.
• "Developmental delay eligibility lasts through primary school." It usually ends when the child turns 6, unless they meet other requirements.
• "Therapy only happens in a clinic." Best practice is support in the child's everyday settings, with the family.