When the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) finds a person eligible and they ask for the iBudget waiver, APD does not put them on one line. It assigns a pre-enrollment category, the official name for the waitlist. The category decides the order in which people are offered waiver funding. This guide explains each category, shows the latest numbers for the counties Hope Center serves, and covers what you can do to make sure your child is in the right category.
Numbers are from APD's August 2026 monthly enrollment report and APD's county report dated October 20, 2026. APD updates county counts at least every 5 days, as s. 393.065(12) requires, so check the current report before relying on a figure.
What are the seven APD pre-enrollment categories?
| Category | Who is in it (summary of the statute) | Aug 3, 2026 | Oct 20, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Crisis | People APD deems in crisis under its rule, such as homelessness, behavior that places the person or others in extreme danger, or a caregiver who can no longer provide care | not listed | 0 |
| 2. Child welfare transitions | People with an open child welfare case moving into permanency, and young adults 18 to 21 in or leaving extended foster care | not listed | 0 |
| 3. Intensive needs | A caregiver expected to be unable to provide care within 12 months with no alternate; substantial risk of incarceration or court commitment; behaviors or physical needs that put the person or caregiver at risk of serious harm; or discharge from a state mental health hospital or nursing facility within a year | 51 | 45 |
| 4. Caregiver 60 or older | The caregiver is 60 or older and there is no alternate caregiver | 271 | 271 |
| 5. Transition from school | Expected to graduate from secondary school within 12 months and needs support for a day activity, a job or an accepted postsecondary program | 10 | 12 |
| 6. Age 21 and older | Adults 21 and older who do not fit Categories 1 to 5 | 7,178 | 5,949 |
| 7. Under age 21 | Children and young adults under 21 who do not fit Categories 1 to 4 | 7,891 | 7,820 |
| Total | 15,401 | 14,097 |
Categories 1 and 2 show zero in the October report. Crisis applicants get first priority, and APD must decide a crisis application within 15 calendar days of a complete application. Within Categories 3 through 7, s. 393.065(5) says APD prioritizes people "in the order of the date that the client is determined eligible." Two groups have special routes outside the queue: children of active-duty service members who were already receiving these services in another state, and people with Phelan-McDermid syndrome.
How many people are waiting in our county?
From APD's October 20, 2026 county report, for the counties where Hope Center has a location or serves families:
| County | Category 3 | Category 4 | Category 5 | Category 6 (21+) | Category 7 (under 21) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach | 4 | 11 | 0 | 522 | 575 | 1,112 |
| Broward | 4 | 3 | 0 | 564 | 846 | 1,417 |
| St. Lucie | 0 | 2 | 0 | 91 | 145 | 238 |
| Hillsborough | 0 | 9 | 0 | 243 | 545 | 797 |
| Polk | 2 | 8 | 0 | 227 | 248 | 485 |
| Charlotte | 0 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 45 | 82 |
| Highlands | 1 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 28 | 71 |
| Duval | 5 | 18 | 5 | 258 | 445 | 731 |
| Orange | 1 | 18 | 1 | 505 | 483 | 1,008 |
Waiver offers are made statewide by category and eligibility date, so a smaller county count does not by itself mean a shorter wait.
How long is the wait for the iBudget waiver?
For most families, years. APD's August 2026 report shows that of the waiver offers made in fiscal year 2025-26, 6,248 went to people who had been in a pre-enrollment category for more than 10 years, measured from the earliest date they were placed in any category. Only 173 went to people who had waited a year or less.
Funding drives the pace. APD's December 2025 report said the 2025-26 budget provided no additional funds to move people off pre-enrollment. For 2026-27, the Legislature provided $10 million in recurring funds for that purpose. In fiscal year 2025-26, APD enrolled 2,819 people in total, including 1,089 through crisis enrollment.
Offers are not always accepted. APD sent 5,979 interest letters to people in Category 6 in fiscal year 2025-26, and the acceptance rate was 26.8%. The most common reason given for declining was "not interested."
Why is my child in Category 7, and can it change?
Category 7 is the default for anyone under 21 who is eligible and does not meet the crisis, child welfare, intensive needs or older-caregiver criteria. In its August report, APD says the 7,891 people in Category 7 "are presumed to be able to receive school-based services." That is APD's explanation of why it treats this group as lower priority; it is not a statement about what your child's school actually provides.
A category can change when your family's situation changes. APD's pre-enrollment page asks families to tell APD when something changes "so that we can reevaluate your pre-enrollment category based on your current needs." Situations the statute names include:
- your child's behavior or physical needs now put them or you at risk of serious harm and other supports are not available (Category 3);
- a caregiver has a documented condition expected to prevent them from providing care within 12 months, with no alternate (Category 3);
- the caregiver turns 60 with no alternate caregiver (Category 4);
- your teen is expected to graduate within 12 months and needs support for work, a day activity or college (Category 5).
If your family is in immediate crisis, you can request crisis enrollment through APD's online application or your regional office. See how to request APD crisis enrollment.
How do we keep our place on the waitlist?
Section 393.065(10) makes the family responsible for giving APD accurate, current contact information, and requires APD to send an annual letter asking for updates. APD's page says to respond to that letter. Waiver offers arrive as interest letters, so APD needs a current address, phone and email to reach you. Our checklist on keeping your APD waitlist spot walks through what to update and when.
One limit to know: under s. 393.065(9), APD's selection of who gets waiver services does not create a right to an administrative hearing for people who remain in pre-enrollment. You can appeal an eligibility denial, but not your place in line. If you think your category is wrong, contact your regional office and provide documentation of your current needs.
APD says that within 60 days of the eligibility decision it will help you develop a support plan, and it can connect families to community resources while they wait.
What can my child get while we wait?
APD's own report notes that most people in pre-enrollment "qualify for and should be receiving services through programs beyond the iBudget waiver." For an autistic child, that often means:
- ABA through private insurance, TRICARE or Medicaid (Florida Medicaid covers behavior analysis services for recipients under 21 when medically necessary);
- school services under an IEP;
- free consultation from your CARD center;
- SSI, FES-UA and an ABLE account, covered in benefits for an autistic child in Florida.
Hope Center has no waitlist for ABA. We work with Blue Cross Blue Shield (Florida Blue), Aetna, Cigna (Evernorth), UMR, Personify Health and TRICARE East, and offer self-pay with a sliding scale. If your child has Medicaid, center policy does not allow self-pay at Hope Center; you can add marketplace or employer insurance, which we accept, and the sliding scale can help with your share. Services usually begin 3 to 5 business days after insurance approves the plan. Contact us or call 561-337-8865 for a free consultation and benefits check.