Funding a GPS tracker in Florida
In Florida, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) runs iBudget Florida, the state's Medicaid waiver for people with developmental disabilities. Its published services include personal emergency response systems and medical equipment. This page explains who qualifies, how to apply and what to ask. It is general information, not advice.
Last updated 7 October 2026. Written by StepSafe, which sells a GPS tracker for children who wander, so read the product parts with that in mind.
Read this first
This is general information, not legal or medical advice. We are not benefits advisors and we have no relationship with any program named here. No product of ours is covered, approved or endorsed by any of them, and we cannot tell you whether your child qualifies.
Programs change. Treat this page as a list of questions to ask, confirm everything with the agency before you spend money, and keep your receipts.
Last checked: 7 October 2026. That is the date we last read the official pages linked below.
Programs in Florida to ask about
None of the official pages we read names GPS trackers for children who wander. What they do list are services such as assistive technology, adaptive aids, specialized equipment and personal emergency response systems. Those are the words to use when you ask.
iBudget Florida waiver
Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)
iBudget Florida is APD's home and community-based services waiver, offering people with developmental disabilities a flexible way to access medically necessary services. Consumer-Directed Care Plus (CDC+) is a self-directed option within it.[5]
APD's published service list includes Personal Emergency Response Systems, described as equipment and a monitoring service that let a person get help in an emergency, with a portable "help" button that works at home or in the community.[3]
The list also includes Durable Medical Equipment and Supplies prescribed by a physician and not covered by the Medicaid State Plan, and Environmental Accessibility Adaptations to the home.[3]
Safety devices: May cover safety or assistive technology; ask your coordinator. We did not find an official page that names GPS trackers for wandering.
FAAST
Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology, Florida's Assistive Technology Act program
FAAST offers device demonstrations, short-term device loans at no cost, device reuse, and a statewide financing program.[6] We have not confirmed whether it lends GPS trackers.
Safety devices: Lends and demonstrates assistive technology; ask whether a locating device is available to try.
Who qualifies, in general terms
To be eligible for APD services, a person must have a developmental disability, as defined in Florida law, that began before age 18 and is expected to continue indefinitely.[1]
The disabilities APD lists include intellectual disabilities, severe forms of autism, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, Prader-Willi syndrome, Down syndrome, Phelan-McDermid syndrome and Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome, plus children aged 3 to 5 at high risk of a developmental disability.[1]
Children under 3 with significant delays are served by Early Steps, part of the Florida Department of Health, rather than APD.[1]
Only the agency can decide whether your child is eligible. These are the general rules as published, not a test you can apply yourself.
How to apply, step by step
- Apply for APD services, which includes the iBudget waiver, by mail, in person at a local APD office, or online. APD publishes a quick guide to the documents you will need. Apply for APD services.[1]
- If you are found eligible, APD assigns a pre-enrollment category and, within 60 days, helps you develop a support plan.[4]
- Tell APD if anything changes, including an increase in wandering, so your category can be reviewed.[4] APD also has crisis criteria for urgent situations; its apply page explains how to request a crisis review.[1]
- Once enrolled, a waiver support coordinator helps identify and arrange services.[3] Ask about Personal Emergency Response Systems and Durable Medical Equipment for the wandering risk.
- While you wait, ask FAAST whether you can borrow or try a device.[6]
What to ask your case manager or service coordinator
Questions to take to the meeting
- Could a wearable locating device be requested as a Personal Emergency Response System, as Durable Medical Equipment, or under another service?
- Does it need a physician's prescription, and what should it say?
- What documentation do you need from my child's doctor or therapist about the wandering?
- Do you need quotes, a product description, or a specific vendor?
- Does the program pay for an ongoing service plan, or only for the device?
- If it is not approved, can I have the decision in writing, and how do I appeal?
For a sample request letter and a note on how wandering is recorded in a medical file, see what to say when you ask.
Programs change
Waiver services, eligibility rules and application steps are updated regularly. We last read these pages on 7 October 2026. Before you rely on anything here, confirm it with the agency or your coordinator. If you find something out of date, email support@stepsafekids.com and we will fix it.
Other states
- CaliforniaPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- TexasPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- New YorkPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- PennsylvaniaPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
Not listed? Read the United States overview for the routes that exist in every state.
What we make
StepSafe makes a clip-on cellular GPS tracker for children who wander. StepSafe ships in early 2027. Nothing on this page means any program will pay for it.
See the shop, or start with our free safety toolkit, which works whatever device you choose.