Voices from our sector: read our submission to the 2025-26 NDIS Annual Pricing Review

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Voices from our sector: read our submission to the 2025-26 NDIS Annual Pricing Review

Sharing critical feedback and real-world insights from our members who deliver early childhood intervention (ECI) services and supports, this month we were proud to provide a detailed submission to the 2025-2026 NDIS Annual Pricing Review.

Our submission reflects the collective experience of practitioners, service providers, and families navigating the NDIS system. It highlights the ongoing challenges around pricing that affect the sustainability and quality of early childhood intervention supports.

Members emphasised that current price settings often do not adequately cover the costs of delivering high-quality, individualised services. This includes the time-intensive nature of early childhood intervention, multidisciplinary approaches, and the need for flexible, family-centred care.

Thank you to all our members who took the time to share their thoughts and experiences with us to help shape and add weight to this submission on behalf of our sector.

Recommendations for pricing that reflects sector reality

ECIA VIC/TAS urges the NDIA to consider frontline perspectives in setting prices that truly reflect the complexity and quality of early childhood intervention.

The submission calls for:

Fairer remuneration that covers all aspects of service delivery, including preparation, coordination, and travel time.
Recognition of the multidisciplinary and holistic nature of ECI supports.
Tiered pricing for providers who deliver quality and not just clinic work that allow for supports tailored to individual family and child needs.
Simplified administrative requirements to reduce overheads and maximise direct service time.

What is needed now

Increase hourly rates for line items delivering services to children under the Early Childhood Approach by 20%.
Increase physiotherapy, music and art therapy rates to match those of occupational therapy and speech therapy with increases.
Re-instate travel to the full 100% of time travelled for providers delivering services in natural settings.

Real impact stories from the frontline

By featuring the voices of our members and sharing concrete examples, we aim to influence a pricing framework that values early childhood intervention’s unique contributions to lifelong outcomes.

Here's an example of the case studies shared in our submission from member organisations that illustrate how pricing pressures are translating into service delivery challenges:

Case study 1: A regional ECI provider shared how underfunded session rates limit their ability to offer longer or more frequent sessions that children with complex needs require, impacting developmental progress.
Case study 2: A multidisciplinary team described the difficulty in sustaining collaborative practice due to pricing models that do not recognise the value of integrated therapy planning and coordination, which are essential for effective outcomes.
Case study 3: A family support service highlighted how administrative burdens compounded by pricing constraints reduce the time available for direct family engagement and capacity building, which are core to early childhood intervention success.