Impacts on awareness, access and utilisation of early intervention support services for Indigenous families living in rural and remote areas: The National Disability Insurance Scheme

Government agencies and not-for-profit organisations (NFPOs) have had long involvement in the funding and provision of community services such as mental health and disability services. Significant change has occurred over the past decade in the way government funds are expended, with public sector agencies increasingly using marketplace mechanisms. As a consequence of economic and governance imperatives, funding of services via NFPOs has changed significantly, with a move away from the provision of grants to the contracting of these organisations for the provision of services. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) (www.ndis.gov.au) is going to change this system again within the next two years.