Funding a GPS tracker in Nova Scotia
In Nova Scotia, the Disability Support Program's Direct Family Support for Children (DFSC) helps families care for a child with a disability at home. It mainly funds respite, and its policy also lists special needs such as medical equipment recommended by a health care practitioner. 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 Nova Scotia to ask about
None of the official pages we read names GPS trackers for children who wander. What they do describe are kinds of support, such as equipment, safety and respite, that a request can be framed around. Those are the words to use when you ask.
Direct Family Support for Children (DFSC) and Enhanced Family Support for Children (EFSC)
Nova Scotia Department of Opportunities and Social Development, Disability Support Program
DFSC and EFSC provide funding to enable families to support their child with a disability at home. They fund respite services, with an enhanced component for children and families who meet the EFSC criteria.[1] Nova Scotia says there is no waitlist for these supports.[3]
The program policy says DFSC also funds special needs related to the child's disability, including medical equipment when the request comes with an assessment and recommendation from an appropriate health care practitioner, such as an occupational therapist, physiotherapist or doctor.[2]
The policy's examples of medical equipment are prosthetic appliances, walkers and crutches, and it was last revised in 2015, so ask what applies now.[2]
Safety devices: May cover safety or assistive technology; ask your coordinator. We did not find an official page that names GPS trackers for wandering.
Who qualifies, in general terms
The child must be under 19 and live in the home of a family member or guardian, and the family and child must be permanent residents of Nova Scotia and lawfully entitled to be in Canada.[1]
An approved clinician must have diagnosed a disability as the program defines it: a mild or moderate intellectual developmental disability with a significant behavioural challenge, a severe intellectual developmental disability, a significant physical disability with ongoing functional limitations, or a dual diagnosis of these.[1]
The family's net income must meet the DFSC Program Income Guidelines, and the family must agree to take part in the assessment.[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
- Call the Disability Support Program team at 1-877-424-1177, or visit a Community Services office, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.[1]
- A care coordinator assesses your child's needs and your family's finances to recommend the funding.[2]
- For equipment, get a written assessment and recommendation from your child's occupational therapist, physiotherapist or doctor before you ask.[2]
- If you have concerns about your child's development and no diagnosis yet, talk to your care provider; Nova Scotia's autism page links to the IWK Health referral information.[3]
What to ask your caseworker or coordinator
Questions to take to the meeting
- Could a locating device be requested as a special need related to my child's disability, and which practitioner should recommend it?
- Do we meet the criteria for the enhanced (EFSC) component?
- 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
Program rules, eligibility 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 provinces
- OntarioPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- British ColumbiaPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- AlbertaPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- QuebecPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- ManitobaPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- SaskatchewanPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
Not listed? Read the Canada overview for the federal tax measures that apply in every province and territory.
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.