Foundational Supports are supposed to change the game — not just for children with developmental delay or autism, but for adults with psychosocial disability as well. 

But with so much attention on the Thriving Kids Initiative, the key questions remain: Will this be enough? And where do occupational therapists fit within the broader Foundational Supports system? 

Foundational Supports were created to ensure children and families receive the right support early, in the settings they already spend their time, without needing to wait for a diagnosis or enter the NDIS. The Thriving Kids Initiative is an important first step toward that vision, but it is only one part of the broader system Australia still needs to build. 

With Thriving Kids expected to begin its first phase from 1 October 2026, OTA wants to ensure governments take a national, consistent and practical approach so these reforms genuinely support children with developmental delay, autism and disability, and adults with psychosocial disability, in every state and territory. 

For Foundational Supports to function as intended, OTs and other allied health professionals need to be embedded across all settings, rather than being positioned at the edges of the system. 

OTA is advocating for: 

• More OTs and allied health professionals in community hubs, early childhood centres and schools (Across more than 13,000 early childhood services and 9,500 schools nationwide — the places where children spend most of their time.) 

• A national approach to OT in education, ensuring support is consistent no matter where a child lives. 

• Funding and commissioning models that enable clear pathways for private OTs to deliver supports in early childhood and school settings, working alongside publicly employed clinicians. 

Thriving Kids has significant potential. For that potential to be realised, we need clarity, strong workforce planning, and a system built around children and families, instead of administrative boundaries. 

Join our Members’ Forum to help shape OTA’s advocacy. 

In light of the recent release of the Thriving Kids Advisory Group Final Report, we want to hear directly from OTs working in early childhood, schools, mental health, community settings, private practice and beyond: 

• What’s working now and what clearly isn’t? 

• What would a workable, national model for OT in education look like? 

• With the release of the Thriving Kids Advisory Group Final Report, what do governments need to hear from OTs right now? 

There will be time at the end for a Q&A. 
Please review the Thriving Kids Advisory Group Final Report ahead of the session: 
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/thriving-kids-advisory-group-final-report?language=en 

Your feedback will shape OTA’s submission 

OTA will gather member feedback during the Forum that will help shape our response to the Thriving Kids Advisory Group Final Report. 

This session is suitable for: 

OTA members and occupational therapists working under the NDIS and/or with children and families. 

WORKSHOP DETAILS

FACILITATOR: 

Michelle Oliver - Chief Occupational Therapist

PRESENTERS:

Daniel White - Strategic Government, Stakeholder Relations & Policy Specialist at Occupational Therapy Australia.  

Dr Karen Ray - Occupational Therapy Lecturer at the University of Newcastle to talk about the Blue Haven Case Study. 

Cathy Thoday - Principal Occupational Therapist, Student Support Services at the Department of Education (South Australia) to talk about OTs in Education from a South Australian perspective. 

DATE:

Tuesday 24 February 2026 

TIME:

12:30pm - 1:30pm | NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS |

12 noon - 1:00pm | SA |

11:30am - 12:30pm | QLD |

11:00am - 12 noon | NT |

9:30am - 10:30am | WA |

Please login 10 minutes before the scheduled presentation time  

CPD HOURS:

CPD hours: 1 hour

A certificate of attendance will be issued upon completion of the full course. Please allow up to 48 hours for the certificate to appear in your CPD tracker.

ACCESS:

The recording and resources will be available in your OTA Account for 12 weeks from the date of registration.

REGISTRATION FEES

This is a free member event for Occupational Therapy Australia members only.

Members must register to recieve the zoom link.

Members need to be logged in with username and password to register. 

Registrations close at 11:55pm AEDT on 22nd February 2026.

DISCLAIMER

All information is correct at the time of publication. OTA reserves the right to alter or delete items from the CPD calendar as required, and takes no responsibility for any errors, omissions, and changes.  

All resources including copies of the presentation, along with all supporting documents and links are not for distribution and are the property of the presenter.  

An OTA staff member or representative may be photographing this event for use in OTA publications and/or on OTA social media sites. If you do not wish to be photographed, or have your image published please make this known to the OTA representative at your course or contact OTA on 1300 682 878 or info@otaus.com.au  

TERMS AND CONDITIONS (T&C)

Terms and Conditions including OTA’s refund and cancellation policy are available here

CONTACT US

Please email info@otaus.com.au or phone 1300 682 878