Who early childhood partners are
Early childhood partners are not part of the NDIA. They are community and disability organisations contracted by the NDIA, under its partners in the community program, to deliver the early childhood approach in a particular region. Which organisation you deal with depends on where you live, and partners for a region can change when contracts change.
The NDIA has extended its existing partner agreements to 30 June 2027, so the services families receive stay the same in the meantime.
What a partner does for your family
The early childhood approach is the overall NDIS pathway for young children. The partner is the organisation that actually delivers it with you. Depending on your child's needs, a partner can:
- Talk with you about your child's development and your family's priorities
- Offer early connections, such as links to playgroups, child health services and other families
- Provide early supports for children younger than 6 with developmental concerns, usually for 3 to 6 months
- Help you apply to the NDIS if your child is likely to be eligible
- Work with you on your child's NDIS plan, then help you understand and start using it
- Help you find early childhood intervention providers and therapists
What a partner cannot do
A partner cannot decide whether your child can join the NDIS, and cannot approve a plan. The NDIA makes those decisions using the information the partner and you provide. That is why it helps to give the partner detailed, specific information about your child's everyday life.
A partner is also not a replacement for ongoing therapy. If your child needs a speech pathologist, occupational therapist or a key worker for the longer term, those are usually funded through an NDIS plan and delivered by providers you choose.
How to find your early childhood partner
Partners are listed on the NDIS website by state and region. Search the NDIS site for the early childhood partners in your state, or call the NDIA on 1800 800 110 and ask who covers your postcode. Your GP, child health nurse, preschool or childcare centre can usually point you to them too. You do not need a referral to make contact.
When your child turns 9
Early childhood partners work with children younger than 9. If your child has an NDIS plan when they turn 9, they usually move to a local area coordinator, who helps with the plan from then on. A child who joined because of developmental delay is reassessed after turning 6 against the disability or early intervention requirements.
Early childhood partners and Thriving Kids
From 1 October 2026 Thriving Kids supports start rolling out outside the NDIS for children 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs. Ask your partner which Thriving Kids supports are available near you as they arrive.
NDIS access for children does not change until 1 January 2028, and children already in the NDIS keep their plans. From then, new applicants aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs will be supported by Thriving Kids rather than the NDIS.
Tips for working with your partner
- Write down what you notice at home, childcare or kinder, with examples and dates
- Bring any reports from your GP, paediatrician or therapists
- Tell them what matters most for your family, not just what your child finds hard
- Ask what the next step is, who does it and when
- If you are unhappy with the service, raise it with the partner first, then the NDIA