36 Years of Care at Tender Care PPEC

 Providing a Helping Hand for Special Needs Children and Families.

🎉📅 What an incredible journey it’s been of 36 years of care! Today, we’re taking a moment to celebrate a milestone that’s close to our hearts. 🥳 Tender Care PPEC has been nurturing and providing exceptional care since 1988 – that’s 13,169 days of unconditional support, growth, and memories! 🌱💞

From tiny toes to big steps, we have cherished each and every one of the 316,056 hours we’ve spent with our Tender Care family. 🕒👣 In 432 months, we’ve seen smiles, heard laughter, and witnessed countless milestones – and each day adds to our rich tradition of care and commitment.

That’s 1,881 weeks (and 2 days) of dedication to giving the best possible environment for our children with special medical needs to flourish. 🌟👶 And the best part? We’ve only just begun! Here’s to continuing our mission and touching more lives for many years to come.

🙏 Thank YOU for being a part of our story. Let’s keep making history, one heartwarming day at a time! 

Special Needs Resource Expo

Learn more about Tender Care

Tender Care PPEC provides care for medically complex and fragile children from birth to 21 years of age in a daycare-like environment staffed with nurses, CNAs, and therapists. We are the first independently owned PPEC in the State of Florida with our initial center opening in 1988. This means we have an abundance of experience and knowledge in providing loving care to this special pediatric population. We have 6 Tender Care PPEC centers throughout Florida, with one of them being in St. Augustine.

Our goal is to enhance the development of each child through collaborative relationships between families, physicians, nurses, and therapists. This holistic approach to care is carried out in an environment that allows the child to engage in social interactions with their peers. This results in thriving children, well-positioned to achieve their greatest potential. We also offer transportation at no cost and provide nutritious meals throughout the day. 

What sets us apart is that we care for and treat every child like family. We have passion in our hearts for our children and a desire to see them succeed.

You can follow us on FacebookTikTokInstagramLinkedIn, and YouTube.

PPEC Offers Many Advantages…

To the child/family:

  • Centrally located nursing and therapy decreases intrusions into family dynamics at home
  • Increased socialization with other children
  • Decreased hospitalization
  • Personalized case management ensuring the best care for your child
  • Offers caregivers increased potential to return to work or school
  • Early detection of potential health problems by licensed professionals

To the payer:

  • Decreased hospitalizations through early detection and case management
  • Increased compliance with plan of care resulting in less utilization of health care benefits
  • An average savings of 40% to 50% compared to Home Health services

 

Common pediatric diagnoses that indicate a potential need for daily skilled nursing services:

  • Premature infants diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, apnea of prematurity, oxygen and pulse oximetry dependence
  • Cerebral palsy with gastrostomy or jejunostomy dependence and/or seizures
  • Spina bifida with or without an Arnold Chiari malformation and shunt monitoring, and urinary catheterization dependence
  • Certain cardiac anomalies
  • Post-transplant status
  • Immunosuppressed status
  • Tracheostomy status (with or without ventilator dependence)
  • Failure to thrive
  • Chronic Kidney Disease
  • History of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
  • Adrenal Insufficiency
  • Presence of a colostomy, ileostomy, urostomy, or vesicostomy

Read More: 

Building Our Village: Brittany Cunningham

The Tender Care PPEC podcast, titled “Building Our Village,” is a compelling new series designed to support families of special needs care. This innovative podcast aims to create a supportive community by bringing together key resources and individuals dedicated to making a significant difference in the lives of children with special needs and their families. In this episode, Brittany Cunningham, shares her tips for traveling with a special needs child.

Tender Care PPEC Honored with Multiple Wins in 2025 Best of Florida Awards

Tender Care PPEC is proud to announce its recognition as a top healthcare provider in the 2025 Best of Florida Awards.

Building Our Village: Bella’s Angels

In this episode, Deborah from Bella’s Angels, promotes the upcoming Access for All Abilities Showcase!

Bears & Stuff Came to Our Palatka and St. Augustine Centers! [2024]

🌟 Exciting news from our St. Augustine and Palatka centers! 🎉  Bears & Stuff joined us for a day of creativity and fun, and the kids had an absolute blast making their own stuffed animals! 🧸💙 Seeing their smiles as they crafted their new furry friends was truly heartwarming. Thank you to everyone who participated! 🥳

Tender Care Attended UF Health’s Fall Family Fun Event! (2024)

We had so much fun attending UF Health Neurodevelopmental Pediatric Center’s Fall Family Fun Event on October 3rd! This event was at their building in Jacksonville, Florida. We had a lot of people stop by our table to learn about Tender Care PPEC and how we are involved in the community. 

FREE PPEC WEBINAR: You’re Invited! (2025)

FREE PPEC WEBINAR: You’re Invited!
We’re beyond excited to announce Tender Care’s very first webinar, and you’re officially invited to join us!

Tender Care Attended TLC’s Fall Festival 2024!

We had a wonderful time at TLC’s Fall Festival 2024! It was heartwarming to reconnect with one of our former Tender Care PPEC graduates—a true success story who reminds us why we do what we do. A big thank you to TLC for hosting such a fantastic event that celebrates inclusion and community!

5 Feeding Tube Myths for New Parents with a Special Needs Child

Are you a new parent with a special needs child with a feeding tube and can’t distinguish the myths from the facts? We explain five of the most common myths about feeding tubes to put your mind at ease.

Take me out to The Miracle League of Palm Beach County Ball Game!

Tender Care had the pleasure of watching The Miracle League of Palm Beach County baseball game which is open to all children regardless of mental or physical disabilities.

Tender Care PPEC Voted Best of Florida Winner for Children’s Therapy Practices 2023

Tender Care PPEC is thrilled to be a Best of Florida Regional Winner for Children’s Therapy Practices!