How do I enroll my child in PPEC?

To enroll in PPEC, call the center and come for a tour, with or without a referral from your child's doctor. The center helps you get the referral, which Florida's rule calls a prescription. Then you sign the first papers, the doctor signs a plan of care, and the center asks Florida Medicaid to approve it.

Families often have to decide fast, sometimes while their child is still in the hospital. This guide shows each step, who does it, and what you need to bring.

Talk with your child's doctor early about a PPEC referral. You can call us before you have one, and we help you get it.

At a glance

• Step one is a phone call: (561) 877-2152.
• Five steps: a call, a tour, first paperwork, a plan of care, then Medicaid approval.
• Your child's doctor writes the PPEC referral, called a prescription in Florida's rule ¹.
• The center plans care with you before the first day, even if your child is in the hospital ².
• The center asks Florida Medicaid for approval ³.
• Parents get a full welcome and training when their child starts ⁴.

What are the steps to enroll in PPEC?

Here is the center's path, in five steps. The center does most of the work in steps 3 to 5.

Rides are set up through Medicaid's transportation benefit, and on the first day you get a welcome and training ³⁴.

How do I ask my child's doctor for a PPEC referral?

Ask at your next visit, or call the office. Say that you want your child to attend a Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care center, a PPEC. Florida's rule calls the referral a prescription, and it must come from your child's attending doctor before a child can start ¹.

It helps to tell the doctor:

• What care your child needs during the day, such as tube feedings, breathing treatments or medicines on a schedule.
• How many hours a day you need care, up to 12 ⁵.
• The name of the center you chose.

Your child must stay under that doctor's care while attending ². The doctor also signs your child's plan of care, which is updated every 180 days ³.

What happens before the first day?

The center plans your child's care before admission. The medical director or director of nursing writes the plan ². If your child is still in the hospital, the plan is made with you and the hospital's doctors, nurses and social workers, so the care at home and at the center matches the hospital's discharge plan ².

You also sign a consent form. It explains the center's purpose, what the family agrees to do, the care your child will get, and the emergency plan. Someone witnesses your signature, and you keep a copy ².

Then the center asks Florida Medicaid to approve the care, called prior authorization ³. Read does Florida Medicaid pay for PPEC? to learn how approval works.

What documents do we need?

Most of the papers come from the doctor and the center. Have these ready:

• Your child's Medicaid card or number
• Your child's doctor's name and phone number
• A list of your child's medicines and doses
• Your child's most recent hospital discharge papers, if any
• Your own ID and phone numbers for two emergency contacts

We will tell you on the first call if we need anything else.

How long does enrollment take?

It depends mostly on how fast the doctor's referral and the Medicaid approval come through. A quick referral from the doctor speeds up every step after it.

If you are in a hurry, say so on the first call. Call (561) 877-2152. Open Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 7 pm.

What happens on the first day?

Your child starts, and you get a full welcome. Florida requires every PPEC to give parents a full orientation when their child is admitted ⁴. You meet the nurses, see where your child will spend the day, and go over the care plan.

Each day after that, a parent signs a log of when the child arrives and leaves. If staff bring your child, the log shows the pickup and drop-off times ³.

Questions parents ask

Can we start the process while my child is still in the hospital?

Yes. The center can plan your child's care with you and the hospital team before discharge ².

Do we need Medicaid before we call?

No. Call us first. Florida Medicaid must be in place for Medicaid to pay, so if your child does not have it yet, apply through the Florida Department of Children and Families ⁶.

Can we visit the center before we decide?

Yes. Call (561) 877-2152 to set a time.

Does the approval have to be renewed?

Yes. Medicaid approval lasts up to 180 days, and the center asks again before it ends ³.

Who rides with my child to the center?

Rides come through Medicaid's transportation benefit, and Florida's Medicaid rules require the center to send an escort ³. Call us to ask how rides work for your child.

Keep reading

• What is a PPEC? A guide for Florida parents
• Who qualifies for PPEC in Florida?
• Does Florida Medicaid pay for PPEC?

Sources

1. Florida Statutes, section 400.902. Read October 14, 2026. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/400.902
2. Florida Administrative Code, Rule 59A-13.007 (admission). Read October 14, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=1823617&type=1&file=59A-13.007.doc
3. Florida Medicaid, Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Services Coverage Policy, February 2018, adopted in Rule 59G-4.260. Read October 14, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/RuleNo.asp?ID=59G-4.260
4. Florida Administrative Code, Rule 59A-13.013 (training). Read October 14, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=1824005&type=1&file=59A-13.013.doc
5. Florida Statutes, section 400.914(2)(a). Read October 14, 2026. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/400.914
6. Florida Department of Children and Families, Economic Self-Sufficiency questions. Read October 14, 2026. https://www.myflfamilies.com/services/public-assistance/economic-self-sufficiency-frequently-asked-questions/