What is the difference between a PPEC and a daycare?

The biggest difference between a PPEC and a daycare is the nurses. A PPEC is a health care center where nurses give medicines, feedings and treatments all day, with at least one staff member for every three children. A regular daycare is child care, and Florida does not require it to have a nurse.

Both places care for children during the day, so parents often ask which one fits. This guide shows how they differ in staff, rules, who can attend and who pays.

Talk with your child's doctor about which kind of care your child's needs call for.

At a glance

• Florida does not require a nurse at a regular daycare ¹.
• A PPEC must have at least one staff member for every three children, and about half must be licensed nurses ².
• A PPEC can care only for children with medical needs, with a doctor's referral, called a prescription in the rule ³⁴.
• In Palm Beach County, the county licenses daycares; the state's health care agency licenses PPECs ⁵³.
• Florida Medicaid pays for PPEC for children who qualify ⁶.

Do regular daycares have nurses?

Florida does not require them to. The state requires staff trained in first aid and child CPR to be there whenever children are in care, but not a nurse ¹⁷.

Daycares also do not have to give medicine. If a daycare chooses to, it needs a parent's signed permission for each medicine, keeps it in the original labeled container, stores it safely and logs every dose ⁷.

That works for many children. It is not built for a child who needs tube feedings, breathing treatments or a nurse watching closely all day.

What can a PPEC do that a daycare cannot?

A PPEC is built around medical care. Florida Medicaid requires every PPEC to offer ⁶:

• Nursing care all day, including medicines and treatments
• Personal care, such as feeding, bathing and changing
• Respiratory therapy, such as oxygen and suctioning
• Developmental therapies that help a child grow and learn
• Psychosocial services for the child and family
• Training for parents in how to give care at home

A PPEC also has a medical director who is a board-certified pediatrician, and a director of nursing who is a Florida registered nurse with pediatric experience ²⁸.

How are staff numbers different?

A PPEC has many more staff for each child. This table compares Florida's minimum staff for each child.

Who licenses a PPEC and a daycare?

Different agencies, with different rules. In most of Florida, the Department of Children and Families licenses child care. Palm Beach County is one of four counties that license child care themselves ⁵. Here, the county commission acts as the licensing board, and the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County inspects child care centers ⁹.

A PPEC holds a health care license from AHCA, the Agency for Health Care Administration ³. Superhero Kids PPEC holds AHCA license 60081108.

Who can attend a PPEC?

Only children with medical needs. Florida law says a PPEC may care only for children who are "medically or technologically dependent" ⁴. Each child needs a doctor's prescription and a parent's consent ³.

That means a brother or sister without medical needs cannot attend the PPEC, even for a day ⁴. Many families use a PPEC for one child and a regular daycare or school for the others.

Who pays for a PPEC and a daycare?

A PPEC is a health care service. Florida Medicaid pays for it for children under 21 who qualify, with no copay for the service ⁶. Read does Florida Medicaid pay for PPEC? for the details.

A regular daycare is child care, and families usually pay for it themselves.

Can my child switch from daycare to a PPEC?

Yes, if your child qualifies. Call us, then ask your child's doctor for the PPEC referral, called a prescription in Florida's rule. Then the center plans your child's care with you and asks Florida Medicaid for approval ³⁶. Read how to enroll in PPEC, step by step.

Call (561) 877-2152 to ask about Superhero Kids. Open Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 7 pm.

Questions parents ask

Is a PPEC just a daycare with nurses?

No. A PPEC is a licensed health care center. It gives nursing, therapy and caregiver training, under a doctor's prescription ³⁶.

Can a PPEC care for my other children too?

No. Florida law lets a PPEC care only for children with medical needs ⁴.

Does my child learn and play at a PPEC?

Yes. Developmental therapies, play and learning are part of every PPEC day ⁶.

Keep reading

• What is a PPEC? A guide for Florida parents
• PPEC vs private duty nursing: how to choose
• Who qualifies for PPEC in Florida?

Sources

1. Florida Statutes, section 402.305 (child care licensing standards), 2026. Read October 14, 2026. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/402.305
2. Florida Administrative Code, Rule 59A-13.010 (nursing services). Read October 14, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=22755053&type=1&file=59A-13.010.doc
3. Florida Statutes, section 400.902. Read October 14, 2026. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/400.902
4. Florida Statutes, section 400.914(2). Read October 14, 2026. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/400.914
5. Florida Department of Children and Families, About Child Care Licensure. Read October 14, 2026. https://www.myflfamilies.com/services/child-family/child-care/about-child-care-licensure
6. 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
7. Florida Department of Children and Families, Child Care Facility Handbook, December 2025, adopted in Rule 65C-22.001. Read October 14, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-19085
8. Florida Administrative Code, Rule 59A-13.009 (medical director). Read October 14, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=1823811&type=1&file=59A-13.009.doc
9. Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County, Child Care Licensing. Read October 14, 2026. https://palmbeach.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/child-care-licensing/