Funding a GPS tracker in Quebec
In Quebec, services for children with a physical or intellectual disability or autism are delivered through your territorial establishment, the CISSS or CIUSSS for where you live, and Retraite Québec pays a supplement to parents. None of them lists safety devices, but the services are meant to help keep daily activities safe. This page explains each, with links to the official pages. 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. We read the English versions of the Québec government pages. The French version of this guide was checked against the French originals.
Programs in Quebec to ask about
None of the official pages we read names GPS trackers for children who wander. What they do describe are services to reduce the risk of harm in daily life, and support for families. Those are the words to use when you ask.
Services for persons with a physical or intellectual disability or ASD
Québec health and social services network, through your territorial establishment (CISSS or CIUSSS)
These services are for people with a physical or intellectual disability or an autism spectrum disorder, and their families, to develop, maintain and compensate for their disabilities.[1]
One category, support and guidance for carrying out life habits, aims "to compensate for functional disabilities and reduce the risk of harm to ensure the safety of activities related to life habits".[1]
An assessment of needs decides which services are put in place, and people who are eligible use them without a fee or deductible.[1]
Safety devices: May cover safety or assistive technology; ask your coordinator. We did not find an official page that names GPS trackers for wandering.
Family Support Program
Your territorial establishment (CISSS or CIUSSS)
Direct benefits, particularly to pay for respite services, childcare, occasional assistance and support with parenting through assistance with daily activities.[2]
The amount is set by the territorial establishment after it assesses the family's needs, and it is linked to an objective in the plan for the services your family needs.[2]
Safety devices: Pays for respite and help at home rather than equipment. Ask your patient navigator whether it can help with supervision at the times wandering is most likely.
Supplement for Handicapped Children
Retraite Québec
Financial assistance paid to parents who care for a child under 18 with a physical impairment or a mental function disability that significantly limits them in carrying out their life habits, expected to last at least one year.[4]
Parents must receive Family Allowance for the child; the two applications can be sent together.[4],[5] A separate Supplement for Handicapped Children Requiring Exceptional Care exists for children with severe and multiple disabilities or complex medical care.[5]
Safety devices: A payment toward the extra costs of a child's disability, not a device program. Ask what it is meant to cover before you plan around it.
Worth knowing
Québec's assistive device programs cover set needs, such as hearing aids, visual aids, devices that compensate for a physical deficiency, walkers and communication aids.[3] We did not find one for locating devices, so we have not listed them as a route.
Who qualifies, in general terms
Disability services are for people with a physical or intellectual disability or an autism spectrum disorder. Children with a significant developmental delay are also eligible.[1]
For the Family Support Program, the family must live with and care daily for the person with a disability or ASD, be related to them, and show a need for support because of their significant disabilities.[2]
For the Supplement for Handicapped Children, the child must be under 18 and you must receive Family Allowance for them.[5]
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
- Contact your territorial establishment to enrol in disability services. Use Finding your territorial establishment to find yours.[1] An assessment of your child's needs follows.[1]
- If your child already receives services, ask their designated patient navigator about the Family Support Program.[2]
- Apply to Retraite Québec for the Supplement for Handicapped Children, with an application for Family Allowance if you do not receive it yet. Enclose any medical, professional or school documents about your child's current condition.[5]
- For help finding your way, contact the Office des personnes handicapées du Québec.[1],[2]
What to ask your caseworker or coordinator
Questions to take to the meeting
- Can my child's wandering risk be addressed in their service plan, and is any equipment considered for safety?
- Can the Family Support Program help with supervision at the times my child is most likely to wander?
- 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 →
- ManitobaPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- SaskatchewanPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- Nova ScotiaPrograms, 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.
Sources
- Québec.ca: Services for persons with a physical or intellectual disability or an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Québec.ca: Family Support Program
- Québec.ca: Assistive devices, disabilities and handicaps
- Retraite Québec: Supplement for Handicapped Children
- Retraite Québec: Filing an application for a handicapped child