Funding a GPS tracker in Virginia

In Virginia, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) runs three Medicaid waivers for people with developmental disabilities with the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), and a funding program for families on the waiting list. That program's guidelines name location devices and GPS trackers. This page explains each one, 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. The Virginia Regulatory Town Hall, where DBHDS publishes its IFSP-Funding Program Guidelines, could not be opened from where we did this research, so we read the English guidelines (version dated 12 September 2024) from an archived copy saved in December 2025, and checked the same item in the Spanish edition on the DBHDS website. The guidelines are set each year; confirm the current version with DBHDS.

Programs in Virginia to ask about

One official list we read does name GPS trackers: Virginia's IFSP-Funding guidelines, for families on the waiver waiting list. The waivers themselves list services such as assistive technology without naming devices. Those are the words to use when you ask.

Building Independence, Family and Individual Supports, and Community Living waivers

DBHDS and DMAS, through your local Community Services Board

Virginia has three Developmental Disability (DD) waivers. Family and Individual Supports and Community Living serve children and adults; Building Independence is for adults 18 and older. There is a waiting list, and slots are assigned based on urgency of need.^[1]

All three cover an Assistive Technology service: specialized medical equipment and supplies, including devices that "enable individuals to perceive, control, or communicate with their environment". It needs a consultation by an independent professional and service authorization, and is available to people receiving at least one other waiver service.^[3]

For children, a waiver request for assistive technology is denied if it is available through EPSDT, Medicaid's benefit for people under 21.^[3]

Electronic Home-Based Supports, which can include portable hand-held devices and ongoing off-site monitoring, is limited to people aged 18 and older.^[4] Personal Emergency Response System service is limited to people who live alone or are alone for significant parts of the day with no regular caregiver.^[5]

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

IFSP-Funding Program

DBHDS Individual and Family Support Program

IFSP-Funding gives one-time financial help to people on the DD waivers waiting list who live in their own home or a family home. Funds are not guaranteed in future years. Priority 1 applicants are funded by their Critical Needs Summary scores, and others by random selection.^[6]

The guidelines list allowable items under "Safe Living". They include "Location devices and GPS trackers", along with personal alarms, locator services and associated trainings, fencing, and home security systems.^[6]

The application portal opens every year in October, for 30 days. If the person is under 18, a family member must submit the application.^[7]

Safety devices: The guidelines name location devices and GPS trackers as allowable items. Awards are limited each year and not guaranteed; ask DBHDS about the current cycle.

Virginia Assistive Technology System (VATS)

Virginia's Assistive Technology Act program, in the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)

VATS lends assistive technology for short-term use, usually 1 to 4 weeks, offers demonstrations, and helps people find equipment through an exchange program. It serves Virginians of any age with a disability and their families. It does not have funds to help buy assistive technology.^[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

DD waiver services are for people with a diagnosis of a developmental disability who meet the level of care of an intermediate care facility for people with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID).^[2]

Family and Individual Supports is for children and adults who may live with their family, friends, or in their own homes.^[1],[2]

To apply for IFSP-Funding, the person must be on the DD waivers waiting list and live in their own home or with family.^[6],[7]

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 local Community Services Board (CSB) to apply for DD waiver services.^[1]
The CSB screens and assesses your child before they go on the waiting list.^[2] Slots go by urgency of need, so describe the wandering risk fully.^[1]
For questions about the waivers, DMAS lists the DBHDS number, (804) 786-3921.^[1]
Once your child is on the waiting list, apply for IFSP-Funding when the portal opens in October. For questions, the IFSP-Funding line is 844-603-9248.^[7]
When a waiver slot is offered, ask your support coordinator about Assistive Technology and who can do the independent professional consultation.^[3]
While you wait, ask VATS whether you can borrow or try a device.^[8]

What to ask your case manager or service coordinator

Questions to take to the meeting

Is IFSP-Funding open now, and can I list a location device or GPS tracker on the application?
If a waiver slot comes, would a locating device be requested under Assistive Technology, or through EPSDT first?
Who can do the independent professional consultation for an Assistive Technology request?
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.