Planning with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Factsheet 2 for foster and kinship carers
Version 1 January 2018
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides support for people with disability, their families and carers. For general information about the NDIS, see Factsheet 1 for foster and kinship carers.
About the NDIS plan
Disability support provided through the NDIS for a child or young person aged over 6 years is documented in their ‘NDIS plan’. 
Children aged 0-6 will first access disability support through an NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) partner organisation and may not require an NDIS plan.
How the NDIS plan is developed
Once a child or young person’s access to the NDIS is confirmed, the NDIS planner or Local Area Coordinator (LAC) will contact their representative to schedule a time to develop their NDIS plan. This usually happens at a face-to-face meeting.
When Child Safety is the child’s representative, we may include the following people in the planning meeting:
•	The child (where appropriate)
•	The child’s parent/s (where appropriate)
•	You as the child’s foster/kinship carer 
•	The Child Safety Officer (CSO) or Team Leader
•	A Transition Officer (where appropriate for a child aged 15-18 years)
If the child’s parent is their representative and they do not invite you to the meeting, we will collect and provide your input.
Following the planning meeting, the NDIA will create an NDIS plan for the child and provide a copy of the plan to the child’s representative. 
For information about what happens after the plan is developed, see Factsheet 3 for foster and kinship carers.
Preparing for NDIS planning
The NDIS provides disability supports that are specific to the child’s disability or developmental delay and that are additional to the needs of children of similar ages in similar care arrangements.
As a carer, you can help ensure the child receives the disability supports they need from the NDIS by considering and keeping notes about:
•	How the child’s disability or developmental delay affects their:
•	ability to undertake the tasks of daily living (e.g. showering, dressing, eating meals, getting ready to leave the house);
•	communication;
•	relationships;
•	behaviour.
•	The supports and services the child already uses each week and the supports and services that are missing;
•	The child’s goals and aspirations for the next 12 months;
•	Any disability-specific supports that would help you to better understand the child’s needs and be able to better care for the child.
Discuss your notes and ideas with the CSO. They will lead the planning preparations and they can also connect you to useful NDIS information and resources.
More information
•	www.qld.gov.au/ndis
•	www.ndis.gov.au
Children aged 0-6
•	www.ndis.gov.au/ecei