Funding a GPS tracker in Georgia

In Georgia, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) runs the NOW and COMP Medicaid waivers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and the Department of Community Health (DCH) oversees them. Their published assistive technology list includes a monitored medical alert system. 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 Georgia 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.

New Options Waiver (NOW) and Comprehensive Supports Waiver Program (COMP)

DBHDD Division of Developmental Disabilities, with DCH as the Medicaid agency

NOW supports people with less intensive needs to stay in their homes or live independently in the community. COMP serves people with more intensive needs and often provides residential support or high-level in-home services.^[1]

Services available in both include specialized medical equipment and supplies.^[1] Specialized Medical Equipment covers devices, controls or appliances specified in the Individual Service Plan (ISP) that help a person perform daily activities and interact more independently with their environment. A Georgia licensed physician must order it.^[5]

Both waiver manuals list personal emergency response systems among the home security items that Specialized Medical Equipment does not cover, and Environmental Accessibility Adaptation excludes them too.^[5],[6]

Safety devices: May cover safety or assistive technology; ask your coordinator. We did not find an official page that names GPS trackers for wandering.

Assistive Technology in NOW and COMP

DBHDD, under the policy manuals DCH publishes

The NOW and COMP manuals describe Assistive Technology (AT) as technology used to maintain or improve functional capabilities "by augmenting strengths and providing an alternative mode of performing a task".^[5],[6]

Both manuals publish a list of reimbursable AT goods. Items that must be specified in the approved ISP include a "monitored medical alert system", a "seizure alarm" and a Bluetooth item tag. The list and the AT chapter do not mention GPS or wandering.^[5],[6]

If an item is not on the list, DBHDD will consider it case by case, based on assessed need and cost. The need must be identified in the ISP, larger requests need approval from a qualified professional such as a physician or therapist and from a DBHDD clinical reviewer, and other sources such as private insurance and State Plan Medicaid must be tried first.^[5]

Safety devices: May cover safety or assistive technology; ask your support coordinator. The published list names a monitored medical alert system but not a GPS tracker, so whether one fits is the program's decision, not ours.

Tools for Life

Georgia's Assistive Technology Act program

Tools for Life offers free device demonstrations by appointment at its Atlanta location and a lending library of hundreds of devices you can borrow for a limited time to try them out.^[7] It also gives information on financing and funding options and on reuse.^[8] 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 qualify for NOW or COMP, a person must have an intellectual disability before age 18, or a related developmental disability such as autism, cerebral palsy or epilepsy before age 22, with significant limitations in intellectual or adaptive functioning.^[2]

They must need the level of care provided in an intermediate care facility and be eligible for Medicaid. DBHDD does not decide Medicaid eligibility, so you may need to apply for Medicaid separately through DCH.^[2],[3]

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 online through the Individual IDD Connects portal on the Georgia Collaborative ASO website, in person at your DBHDD regional field office, or by mail or fax. Online applications are processed faster.^[2],[3],[4]
Gather psychological evaluations and records from schools, providers or care facilities. You can upload them during the online application.^[2]
Within 14 business days of receiving an application, a DBHDD staff member schedules a screening assessment, and a DBHDD psychologist reviews complete applications for pre-eligibility.^[2],[3]
If your child is pre-eligible, they are placed on the planning list for NOW and COMP. Priority is based on need, including health and safety and the caregiver and support system, not time on the list. The regional field office can refer you to state-funded and community supports while you wait.^[2],[3]
When funding is approved, a Regional Planning List Administrator helps you choose providers and develop the Individual Service Plan.^[3] Ask for the wandering risk to be in the ISP and for Assistive Technology to be considered.
While you wait, ask Tools for Life whether you can borrow or try a device.^[7]

What to ask your case manager or service coordinator

Questions to take to the meeting

Could a wearable locating device be requested as Assistive Technology, and if it is not on the published list, will DBHDD consider it case by case?
Which professional should assess the need, and what does the DBHDD clinical reviewer need to see?
Does my child's wandering count toward health and safety when the planning list is prioritized?
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

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.