Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Center

PPEC stands for Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care. It is a Florida-licensed medical daycare where children with complex medical conditions receive skilled nursing care, therapy, and education during the day. In Florida, PPEC is a Medicaid-covered benefit for eligible children from birth through age 20.

A prescribed pediatric rehabilitation center is another name for a PPEC center. A physician prescribes nursing care and rehabilitation therapy for a child with complex medical needs, and the child attends the center during the day. Children’s Rehab PPEC has provided prescribed pediatric rehabilitation in South Florida since 1991.

Children qualify for PPEC when they have a medically complex condition and a physician’s prescription for skilled nursing care. Eligibility is based on the child’s medical needs, not family income. Children’s Rehab PPEC serves children from newborn through age 21, and Florida Medicaid covers eligible children from birth through age 20.

PPEC centers care for children who need medical supervision throughout the day. This includes children with feeding tubes, tracheostomies, ventilators, oxygen support, seizure disorders, cerebral palsy, prematurity, and children recovering after surgery or a hospital stay. Our nurses also manage medication, tube feedings, wound care, ostomy care, and apnea or pulse oximetry monitoring.

In Florida, PPEC is a covered Medicaid benefit, and Children’s Rehab PPEC also works with private insurance plans. Our team checks your child’s coverage and benefits before services start, so families know what to expect before they enroll. Call us and we will review your child’s coverage with you.

Yes. Children’s Rehab PPEC provides free transportation to and from our centers for the children we serve, and our team can pick children up from locations across South Florida. Florida Medicaid also covers non-emergency medical transportation for eligible children.

A PPEC program includes skilled nursing care from RNs, LPNs, and CNAs, plus physical, occupational, speech, and behavioral therapy. Children’s Rehab PPEC also provides specialized education, recreational activities, caregiver training, and case management. Our therapy department is on site, so children receive one-to-one therapy from our own therapists.

Yes. PPEC is often called pediatric medical daycare. Families searching for medical daycare, daycare near me for special needs, or daycare for disabilities are usually looking for what a PPEC center provides: a licensed day program with nurses on site who care for children with disabilities and complex medical needs.

PPEC combines nursing care with therapy, education, and time with other children in one daytime program. In-home nursing is usually one-to-one care at home, and a hospital stay focuses on acute treatment. Under Florida Medicaid rules, children can attend a PPEC center for up to 12 hours per day.

Yes. Children can learn inside our program with a certified special education teacher, or attend their own school and come to PPEC before or after class. Children’s Rehab PPEC offers a school program during the day and an afterschool program for children who attend other schools.

Children’s Rehab PPEC has two South Florida locations: 2727 NW 167th St, Miami Gardens, FL 33056, and 3020 Lee Blvd, Lehigh Acres, FL 33971. Both centers are open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Call us or send the form on our enrollment page. Our team will help you confirm eligibility, coordinate the physician’s prescription, and verify insurance coverage before your child starts. We welcome referrals from physicians, hospitals, case managers, social workers, and families.