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

Providing a Helping Hand for Special Needs Children and Families.

🌟 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! 🥳

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 our newest facility located in Lake Park.

Lake Park Location

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 Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, 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

*This is not medical advice, always consult with your child’s doctor before making any changes to their lifestyle. 

Related:

Ep. 4 – Building Our Village: The Pearl Project

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, Stephen, the Director of Development, explains his passion for TBRI and what The Pearl Project does for families. https://www.thepearlproject.org/our-story

You’re Invited: PPEC Open Tours Event [2026]

On the 22nd, we’re opening our doors at our West Palm Beach (Lake Park) center for our PPEC Open Tours Event.

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!

Tender Care Attended Help Me Grow’s Inaugural Books, Balls, and Blocks event in St. Johns County 2024!

We were thrilled to be invited to attend Help Me Grow’s inaugural Books, Balls, and Blocks event in St. Johns County on November 8th. The event successfully connected nine families with valuable resources, helped complete three developmental questionnaires, and provided essential support to each family. We’re excited for the upcoming event in Palm Coast on December 13th!

5 Incredible Benefits of a PPEC

If you are a parent of a special needs child, you know that finding the right care for them is essential. You want to be sure they are getting the best care possible so they can thrive and grow. That’s why so many parents turn to Tender Care PPEC. Our program offers the best care available for children with special needs. We provide personalized care and support so your child can get the most out of their life. In this blog, we list 5 benefits of PPECs.

Tender Care PPEC has a New Homepage! (2025)

We’re excited to announce our new homepage of 2025!

Hurricane Grill & Wings Donated to Tender Care PPEC (2024)!

A great big, heartfelt THANK YOU to Hurricane Grill & Wings in St. Augustine! Thanks to the incredible generosity of their regular patrons and the owner’s matching contribution, we’re one step closer to making our patients’ special Christmas wishes come true.

3 Benefits Tricycles Offer for Physical Therapy

Curious about how tricycles help with physical therapy? We explain three benefits tricycles have for your child with special needs.

Nurse Appreciation Week at Tender Care 2023

Tender Care celebrated Nurse Appreciation Week, May 8th – 12th at all of our centers. Find out how we celebrated and how much we truly appreciate our employees.

5 Speech Therapy Myths for New Parents with a Special Needs Child

Are you a new parent of a special needs child needing speech therapy? We explain five of the most common speech therapy myths to put your mind at ease.