Funding a GPS tracker in Washington
In Washington, the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) in the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) runs five Medicaid waivers. Their rules list assistive technology that improves safety, and remote support. This page explains which services to ask about, how to enroll, 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 Washington 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.
DDA waivers: assistive technology and specialized equipment
Washington DSHS, Developmental Disabilities Administration
DDA has five waivers: Basic Plus, Children's Intensive In-home Behavioral Supports (CIIBS), Community Protection, Core, and Individual and Family Services (IFS). Each has its own menu of services and eligibility.[2]
Assistive technology is available on all DDA waivers. It covers items, equipment or product systems, not related to physical health, that increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities, "Improve client safety", or increase social engagement in the community.[3]
Specialized equipment and supplies, also on all DDA waivers, include items that help a person "perceive, control, or communicate with the environment in which they live".[3]
Both are limited to things not covered by the Medicaid state plan, including EPSDT. The need must be identified in the DDA assessment and documented in the person-centered service plan, and assistive technology needs a professional's written recommendation.[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.
Individual and Family Services (IFS) waiver and remote support
Washington DSHS, Developmental Disabilities Administration
The IFS waiver is for people who live at home with family. Its services include assistive technology, environmental adaptations, remote support, and specialized equipment and supplies, within an annual allocation set by the DDA assessment.[3]
Remote support is supervision, coaching and consultation from a contracted provider at a distance. Its equipment may include radio frequency identification and web-based monitoring systems.[3]
Remote support must never be used to restrict a person from their home, community or body autonomy. It needs a remote support plan with a safety plan and emergency contacts, and prior approval. On the Basic Plus and IFS waivers it comes out of the person's budget or annual allocation.[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.
Washington Assistive Technology Act Program (WATAP)
Washington's Assistive Technology Act program, at the University of Washington
WATAP runs a statewide device lending library that ships anywhere in Washington, with a 21-day borrowing period and a nominal fee based on the device's value and maintenance.[4] It also offers device demonstrations, and through partners, reuse of used equipment and financing.[5] 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
Applying for DDA enrollment is a process to decide whether a person meets the developmental disability eligibility criteria in chapter 388-823 WAC. It is separate from requesting services.[1]
For waiver services, a person must also meet the ICF/IID level of care, Social Security disability criteria and Medicaid financial rules, and need monthly waiver services or monitoring. The IFS waiver also requires living at home with family.[3]
CIIBS is for children who live at home with family and are 8 or older and under 18 when they enroll.[3]
Meeting the criteria does not guarantee a place. DDA records waiver requests in a statewide database and enrolls people when there is capacity.[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
- Request a DDA enrollment (intake) packet from your local DDA office or through the Service and Information Request line, then send it to the intake and eligibility team for your region. Phone numbers for each region are on the How to Enroll in DDA page.[1]
- DDA decides eligibility within 30 days of receiving the last document it asked for.[1]
- Once enrolled, ask for waiver services through the online Service and Information Request form, your DDA case resource manager, or a DDA office.[2]
- Ask for the wandering risk to be identified in the DDA assessment and written into the person-centered service plan, since assistive technology and specialized equipment depend on it.[3]
- Ask your child's doctor or therapist for the written recommendation DDA requires for assistive technology.[3]
- While you wait, ask WATAP whether you can borrow or try a device.[4]
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 to improve my child's safety, or as specialized equipment?
- Is remote support available on my child's waiver, and does it apply when my child is out in the community?
- What should the professional's written recommendation 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 →
- FloridaPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- New YorkPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- PennsylvaniaPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- IllinoisPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- OhioPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- GeorgiaPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- North CarolinaPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- MichiganPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- New JerseyPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- VirginiaPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- ArizonaPrograms, who qualifies and how to apply →
- MassachusettsPrograms, 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.