Labor Pledges $2 Billion Program to Target Surge of Aussie Children on NDIS

Minister Butler says the scheme, originally built for 410,000, now supports 740,000 Australians—half of them children.

Children arrive at Annandale Public School with their parent in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 18, 2021. Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

With nearly half of all NDIS participants now children under 15, the federal government is rolling out a $2 billion program to try steer young children with mild autism away from the program.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the latest initiative would begin in July 2026, with a full rollout by mid-2027, when changes to the taxpayer-funded National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) take effect.