What questions should I ask on a PPEC tour?

The most useful questions to ask on a PPEC tour are the ones Florida's rules already answer. Ask how many nurses are on the floor and who writes your child's plan of care. Ask what happens if your child gets sick, and how rides work. Here are 12 questions, the rule behind each, and what a good answer sounds like.

Touring a center for a child with medical needs is a lot to take in. This printable PPEC tour checklist lets you compare every center on the same facts.

Talk with your child's doctor about what care your child needs during the day, so you know exactly what to ask for.

At a glance

• With 7 to 9 children present, Florida requires at least 3 staff, including 1 registered nurse ¹.
• Every PPEC staff member must hold current CPR certification ².
• Your child's plan of care is updated every 180 days and signed by a registered nurse and a doctor ³.
• Superhero Kids PPEC holds AHCA license 60081108 and is open Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 7 pm ⁶.

What should I look for on a tour?

Look for the license, count the adults in each room, and ask how you will hear about your child's day.

1. Where is your license posted, and how many children does it allow?

Why it matters. Florida law says a health care license must be displayed where families who walk in can see it ⁷. It also shows how many children the center may have on site ⁸.

A good answer sounds like. Staff walk you to it and read you the number. Superhero Kids publishes its license number, 60081108 ⁶.

2. How many children are here today, and how many staff are with them?

Why it matters. Florida sets a staffing table by head count. With 7 to 9 children, a center needs 3 staff, one of them a registered nurse. Above that, one more staff member for every 3 children, about half of them licensed nurses ¹.

A good answer sounds like. A real number for today, not "plenty," and the rule in their own words.

3. How will I hear about my child's day, and in which language?

Why it matters. Florida requires nurses to teach parents and build their confidence in caring for the child at home ¹.

A good answer sounds like. A named way to reach the nurse, a daily update, and staff who speak your language. Superhero Kids staff speak English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese and French.

What should I ask the nurses?

Ask who leads the nurses, who plans your child's care, and how medicines are tracked.

4. Who is the director of nursing, and is a registered nurse here all day?

Why it matters. Every PPEC must have a full-time registered nurse as director of nursing, with at least 2 years of pediatric nursing ¹. The staffing table requires an RN whenever a child is present ¹.

A good answer sounds like. The director's name and experience, and a clear "yes, all day."

5. Who writes my child's plan of care, and how often is it updated?

Why it matters. Before admission, the medical or nursing director writes a plan of your child's services ⁹. A nursing care plan follows within 10 working days ¹⁰. For Florida Medicaid, the plan is updated every 180 days and signed by a registered nurse and a doctor ³.

A good answer sounds like. "We build it with you and your child's doctor, then review it on a schedule." You also get an orientation at admission and a copy of the consent form ²⁹.

6. How are medicines, feedings and treatments given and logged?

Why it matters. Florida requires each child's record to hold the doctor's orders, a flow chart of every medicine and treatment given, and notes on feedings and special diets ¹⁰.

A good answer sounds like. A nurse shows you the flow chart and explains who gives each medicine.

7. Which therapies happen here, and who provides them?

Why it matters. Florida's PPEC law lists speech, occupational and physical therapy as supportive services a center may arrange ¹¹. Medicaid pays for them under their own rules, not as part of the PPEC day ³.

A good answer sounds like. A plain list of what happens on site and who provides it. At Superhero Kids, speech, physical, feeding and occupational therapy are available through its partner, Progressive Pediatric Therapy, if your family chooses them.

8. What training do staff get, and is everyone CPR certified?

Why it matters. Florida requires current CPR certification for every PPEC staff member and staff training every 3 months ². Direct care staff need at least 1 year of experience with infants and toddlers ¹.

A good answer sounds like. "Everyone, including the front desk," then what the quarterly training covers.

What should I ask about emergencies?

Ask what happens when a child gets sick and what happens in a true emergency.

9. What happens if my child gets sick, and may I see the isolation room?

Why it matters. Every PPEC must have an isolation room with a large glass window so staff can watch the child ¹². A child who may have something catching must be isolated, the parents called, and the child sent home as soon as possible ¹².

A good answer sounds like. They show you the room and say who stays with your child. Superhero Kids publishes that a nurse stays with the child in its isolation room and parents get a call ⁶.

10. What happens in a medical emergency or a power outage?

Why it matters. Florida requires a backup generator with enough power to run medical equipment, tested every 30 days ⁴. Emergency rides go by licensed ambulance, with a staff member riding along ⁴. Your signed consent form includes your child's emergency plan ⁹.

A good answer sounds like. The steps in order: who calls 911, who rides along, and which hospital.

What should I ask about rides and hours?

Ask how your child gets to the center and how long the day can be.

11. How do rides work, and who rides with my child?

Why it matters. Rides are not part of the PPEC benefit. For children with Florida Medicaid, rides come through Medicaid's separate transportation benefit, and the center must send an escort ³. Read how PPEC transportation works first.

A good answer sounds like. Who rides along, how pickup times are set, and how a wheelchair or oxygen travels. At Superhero Kids, ask us how it works for your child.

12. What are your hours, and how long can my child stay each day?

Why it matters. Florida law allows a child to attend a PPEC for up to 12 hours in any 24-hour period ⁵. Your child's actual hours are set in the plan of care with the doctor ³.

A good answer sounds like. Clear days and hours, and an honest talk about what your child's plan allows. Superhero Kids is open Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 7 pm ⁶.

Print this list: 12 questions to ask on a PPEC tour

Take this list to every center, Superhero Kids included. Call (561) 877-2152 to set up a tour. Open Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 7 pm. Calls are returned within 15 minutes in those hours, and families can visit the same day.

1. Where is your license posted, and how many children does it allow?
2. How many children are here today, and how many staff are with them?
3. How will I hear about my child's day, and in which language?
4. Who is the director of nursing, and is a registered nurse here all day?
5. Who writes my child's plan of care, and how often is it updated?
6. How are medicines, feedings and treatments given and logged?
7. Which therapies happen here, and who provides them?
8. What training do staff get, and is everyone CPR certified?
9. What happens if my child gets sick, and may I see the isolation room?
10. What happens in a medical emergency or a power outage?
11. How do rides work, and who rides with my child?
12. What are your hours, and how long can my child stay each day?

Questions parents ask

Do I need a physician referral before I tour a PPEC?

No. You can tour first. To enroll, Florida's rule requires a prescription from your child's attending doctor, which most families call a physician referral ⁹¹¹. Read how to enroll in PPEC, step by step.

What is a fair nurse-to-child ratio at a PPEC?

Florida's table is the floor: with 7 to 9 children, 3 staff with at least one registered nurse ¹. A center may staff above the floor.

Can a PPEC turn my child away after the tour?

Yes, if your child does not meet Florida's admission rules. A PPEC may care only for medically or technologically dependent children who are medically stable and not an infection risk to others ⁵⁹.

Keep reading

• What is a PPEC? A guide for Florida parents
• How to enroll in PPEC, step by step
• How PPEC transportation works

Sources

1. Florida Administrative Code, Rule 59A-13.010 (nursing services, staffing table). Read October 19, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=22755053&type=1&file=59A-13.010.doc
2. Florida Administrative Code, Rule 59A-13.013 (in-service training for staff, parents and guardians). Read October 19, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=1824005&type=1&file=59A-13.013.doc
3. Florida Medicaid, Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Services Coverage Policy, February 2018, adopted in Rule 59G-4.260. Read October 19, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-08568
4. Florida Administrative Code, Rule 59A-13.022 (fire safety and emergency procedures). Read October 19, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=1824393&type=1&file=59A-13.022.doc
5. Florida Statutes, section 400.914(2). Read October 19, 2026. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/400.914
6. Superhero Kids PPEC, website (home, Our Services and FAQ pages). Read October 19, 2026. https://www.superherokidsppec.com/
7. Florida Statutes, section 408.804(2) (license display). Read October 19, 2026. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/408.804
8. Florida Administrative Code, Rule 59A-13.004 (license procedure). Read October 19, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=30762888&type=1&file=59A-13.004.doc
9. Florida Administrative Code, Rule 59A-13.007 (admission, transfer and discharge policies). Read October 19, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=1823617&type=1&file=59A-13.007.doc
10. Florida Administrative Code, Rule 59A-13.014 (medical record). Read October 19, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=1824102&type=1&file=59A-13.014.doc
11. Florida Statutes, section 400.902 (definitions: admission prerequisites, supportive services). Read October 19, 2026. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/400.902
12. Florida Administrative Code, Rule 59A-13.020 (infection control). Read October 19, 2026. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=1824296&type=1&file=59A-13.020.doc