The FINANCIAL -- The
Australian Government welcomed the findings of a review of early
intervention therapies.
The Australian Government commissioned KPMG to review the effectiveness of early childhood intervention and to review the Better Start for Children with Disability initiative.
The report recommends that eligibility for the Better Start for Children with Disability initiative should be expanded, that early intervention services be integrated into the development of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and that the model of service effectively links families and children to appropriate early childhood supports in their local communities.
Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, Jan McLucas said the Australian Government would carefully consider the recommendations of the report.Better Start for Children with Disability is a $147 million initiative of the Australian Government that gives children under the age of six who have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, or moderate or greater vision or hearing impairment including deafblindness, access to up to $12,000 in flexible early intervention funding.
About 20,000 children under the age of 15 years can access new Medicare services for diagnosis and allied health treatment under this program.Since the introduction of Better Start, more than 2600 families have registered, with an average of 122 signing up every week since July.
Better Start for Children with Disability gives parents the decision making power about the early intervention services they access to support their children’s development.
The Productivity Commission identified that giving people more choice about the services they receive would be an essential feature of a National Disability Insurance Scheme.
The Government started work immediately with states and territories on measures that will build the foundations for a National Disability Insurance Scheme.
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