- Support
for families and children with Thriving Kids Family and Children Support Program
grant applications open today
- Grants ranging from
$250,000 to $2 million available
- Projects and
initiatives that strengthen the knowledge, skills, confidence of families
of children 0-8 years with developmental concerns, delay and/or autism, with
low to moderate support needs to be funded
- Cook Labor Government putting WA first and building safe and
inclusive communities
A new Cook Labor Government grant program that will
provide funding of up to $52 million opens today as part of the rollout of
Thriving Kids in Western Australia.
Thriving Kids is a national reform announced
by the Commonwealth Government. The program will provide
information, services and supports for children aged 0-8 years with
developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs, as well
as their families, carers and kin.
The grants are the first investment through the
Cook Labor Government's $361 million commitment to Thriving Kids, funded
jointly by the State and Commonwealth Governments over the next five years.
The Thriving
Kids Family and Children Support
Program will provide grants to eligible groups, such as community
organisations, not-for-profit groups and local governments over the next two
years.
Grants will range from $250,000 to $2 million total
for each project or initiative.
The program will fund new, or enhance existing,
community-based projects and initiatives that work with families, carers and
kin to strengthen their knowledge, skills and confidence to support their
children.
The services will aim to provide families with accessible, high-quality
and culturally safe supports to help build family capability to support a
child's development and participation in their everyday lives and strengthen
connections to the community.
Services under the program will be delivered State-wide, across multiple
regions, or as place-based initiatives, in settings where children and families
live, learn and play.
The grants will enable programs and initiatives to be trialled in the
community and will help shape the design and commissioning of further Thriving
Kids services in WA.
Grant funding of up to $52 million is now available
for community-led initiatives to strengthen support for Western Australian
children and families.
The grants will be awarded through competitive
applications and direct negotiations with a small number of providers to enable
early mobilisation of some services.
Grant applications close on Wednesday, 30
September.
The delivery of Thriving Kids supports will begin rolling out
progressively from 1 October 2026.
The range of supports and the programs and services delivering them will
increase over time, with full rollout expected by January 2028.
More information can be found here: www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/thriving-kids-family-and-children-support-program
Comments attributed to Disability
Services Minister Hannah Beazley:
"The Cook Labor Government remains committed to a strong support system
for children with disability, their families, carers and kin.
"Thriving Kids will enable
families to access help early, close to home, without waiting for a diagnosis
first.
"That's what makes the difference for a young child, and that is what
we're building in WA."
