Grant Details

The Kevin and Avonte Program: Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities Program supports local jurisdictions' efforts to reduce the number of deaths and injuries of individuals with forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's Disease, or developmental disabilities, such as autism, who due to their condition wander from safe environments. It provides funding to law enforcement and public safety agencies to implement locative technologies to track missing individuals, and to such agencies and partnering nonprofit organizations to develop or operate programs to prevent wandering, increase individuals' safety, and facilitate rescues.  

In 2022, projects will be accepted under the following categories:

• Category 1: Proactive Programming. Grantees are expected to design, establish, or operate holistic, locally-based proactive programs intended to locate or prevent wandering of individuals with forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's Disease, or developmental disabilities, such as autism, who due to their condition wander from safe environments. Grantees' projects are expected to achieve all or some of the following: 
  • Increase public awareness of missing persons with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia or developmental disabilities.
  • Provide prevention and response information, including online training resources, and referrals to families or guardians of individuals who, due to their condition, wander from a safe environment.
  • Establish or expand community partnerships between local law enforcement, other public safety agencies, and the communities they serve in an effort to prevent persons with forms of dementia or developmental disabilities from wandering, and to locate them in the event they go missing.
  • Provide education and training, including online training resources, to first responders, school personnel, clinicians, and the public in order to: (1) Ensure the safety and reduce the incidence of wandering of persons with dementia or developmental disabilities; (2) Facilitate the rescue and recovery of individuals who wander from safe environments; and (3) Recognize and respond appropriately to individuals who wander from safe environments.
  • Provide prevention and response training and emergency protocols to school administrators, school staff, and families or guardians of individuals with dementia or developmental disabilities, to help reduce or prevent the risk of wandering by such individuals.
  • Develop, operate, or enhance a notification system that generates alerts, advisories, or other information for the recovery of missing individuals with dementia or developmental disabilities. 
• Category 2: Locative Technology. Grantees are expected to purchase, develop or implement locally-based tracking technology for individuals with forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's Disease, or developmental disabilities, such as autism, who due to their condition wander from safe environments.
  • Applicants interested in developing tracking technologies should note:
    • Any collection, use, and retention of data under this program is solely for the purpose of preventing injury or death of a person assigned a tracking device;
    • Participation in this program must remain entirely voluntary for participants. A guardian or parent shall make any decisions about whether or not to accept a tracking device for their child.

Priority consideration will be shown to projects supporting Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.