Parents of autistic children who tend to wander may now gain some peace of mind. Westchester County, in its partnership with the Westchester Jewish Community Services, is offering tracking bracelets for these children.

“I can’t think of anything worse as a parent than to find your child is missing,” said County Executive Andy Spano. “Families with children on the autism spectrum have unimaginable stresses — financial and mental. If we can ease some of this, we should do it.”

The new program, Project Lifesaver, is the same program that is currently being offered to Alzheimer’s patients. For austic children, it will begin in January. To start, the county has 100 bracelets available, but will order more as needed, Spano said.

The total cost for the first year is $300 per child, including bracelets and all batteries. After that, the bracelets cost about $85 annually.

The bracelets use radio-frequency to detect a person’s location. The technology cuts down on the time it takes to find a child and thus minimizes the risks associated with being missing for long periods of time.

To register for the bracelets go to the WJCS Autism Family Center, 845 N. Broadway in White Plains on Jan. 13 from 4 to 8 p.m and on Jan. 25th from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Families may download the application at www.westchestergov.com/autism. For more information, call 761-0600, ext. 228.