What a child representative is
Children under 18 usually cannot make NDIS decisions on their own, so the law gives that role to a child representative. The child representative applies to the NDIS for the child, goes to planning meetings, signs service agreements, manages or chooses how the plan is managed, and makes decisions about supports.
The NDIS Act sets out who the child representative is. It is a separate idea from a plan nominee, which is someone appointed to act for an adult participant.
Who is the child representative
Most of the time it is the person or people with parental responsibility for the child, which usually means the parent or parents. This happens automatically. You do not have to apply to be your own child's representative.
Someone else may have parental responsibility, and so become the child representative, when:
- The child has a legal guardian
- A court or tribunal has made an order about parental responsibility or a parenting order
- The NDIA has decided to appoint a different child representative
Your duties as a child representative
A child representative must find out what the child wants and act in their best interests. That means involving your child in decisions as much as they are able, listening to their views and helping them build the skills to make their own choices over time.
In practice it also means keeping records of how plan funding is spent, checking invoices and service agreements, and telling the NDIA about changes that affect the plan.
When the NDIA appoints someone else
In exceptional circumstances the NDIA can decide that a child should be represented by someone who does not have parental responsibility, because that is more appropriate for NDIS matters. An example in the NDIA's guidelines is a grandparent who is involved in the child's long term or day to day care.
If you disagree with a decision about who represents a child, ask the NDIA to explain it in writing and ask about your review rights.
Can a child represent themselves?
Sometimes. As a child gets older, especially in the teenage years, the NDIA can decide that a child participant can make their own decisions and represent themselves. Only children who are already participants can do this, not children who are still applying or only getting community connection support.
Before deciding, the NDIA talks with the child and their representatives. It looks at whether the child can understand and use the information, understand the consequences, communicate their decisions, and has people around them who can support those decisions.
What happens at 18
The child representative role ends automatically on the participant's 18th birthday. The NDIA contacts the family beforehand to talk about the change.
Most young adults can make their own decisions, sometimes with support from family or others. If a participant cannot make decisions even with help, the NDIA may look at appointing a nominee. It is worth starting supported decision making well before 18, so the move is not a sudden handover.
What is changing for children in the NDIS
Thriving Kids started rolling out from 1 October 2026 for children 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs. Children already in the NDIS keep their plans, and access rules for children do not change until 1 January 2028. From 1 February 2027 the law also spells out what parents are expected to provide anyway for a child, such as supervision and transport, when the NDIA decides what is reasonable and necessary.