A home with nurses for your child’s whole day.
HappyNest is a pediatric medical day center in Miami for children from birth to 21 with complex medical needs. Skilled nursing, therapies, learning and play, up to 12 hours a day.
- Birth to 21
- Mon–Fri · 7 am to 7 pm
- No cost with Florida Medicaid*
- Door-to-door transport
- Nurses on site all day
*For eligible children with a physician’s prescription.
What is a PPEC?
A PPEC (Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care) is a medical day center for children who need nursing care. It is not a regular daycare: a doctor prescribes it, and nurses and therapists care for your child all day.
Your child spends the day with us while you work, rest or care for your family, and comes home every evening.
For eligible children, Florida Medicaid covers PPEC care, including transportation, at no cost to the family.
Walk through the center
Eight spaces designed for children with complex medical needs. Choose a window to step inside.
Illustrative renderings based on the facility plan. Photos of the finished center coming soon.
Reception
Room 1A welcoming, secure check-in area with direct access to every care area.
Inside
- Secure check-in desk
- Family waiting area
- Direct access to care areas
Care that happens here
- Arrival and nurse hand-off
- Visits and tours
Clinical and treatment room
Room 2A private room for medical care, therapies and procedures.
Inside
- Movable bed and gurney
- Medical equipment and supplies
- Hand-washing sink
Care that happens here
- Skilled nursing
- Airway care
- Physical, occupational and speech therapy
Classrooms and care areas
Room 3Spacious, age-appropriate rooms for learning, play and development.
Inside
- Furniture sized for each age
- Learning and sensory materials
Care that happens here
- Learning by age
- Play and recreation
- Occupational therapy
Nurses station and medication room
Room 4The central nursing area, with a hand-washing sink, secure medication storage and a workspace for charting.
Inside
- Locked medication storage
- Charting workstation
- Hand-washing sink
Care that happens here
- Medications
- Skilled nursing all day
Staff, admin and records
Room 5A workspace for the administrative team, with secure storage for medical records.
Inside
- Secure medical records
- Meeting table
- Care-coordination desk
Care that happens here
- Care coordination
- Admissions
Isolation room
Room 6A private room for contagious illness or individual care, with its own bathroom and monitoring equipment.
Inside
- Private bathroom
- Monitoring equipment
- Clear access for staff
Care that happens here
- Isolation care
- Skilled nursing
Kitchen
Room 7Where formulas and special diets are prepared, and where feeding therapy happens at the table.
Inside
- Formula and diet prep area
- Refrigerated storage labeled for each child
- A table for feeding therapy
Care that happens here
- Meals and snacks
- Tube feeding
- Feeding therapy
Sleeping area
Room 8Cribs for babies and beds for older children, with soft light and quiet.
Inside
- Cribs for infants
- Beds for older children
- Soft, dimmable lighting
Care that happens here
- Supervised rest
A day at HappyNest
Every child has an individual care plan. This is what a typical weekday looks like.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7:00 am | Pick-up at home |
| 8:00 am | Nurse check-in |
| 9:00 am | Learning circle |
| 10:00 am | Therapy sessions |
| 11:30 am | Lunch and feedings |
| 12:30 pm | Rest time |
| 2:00 pm | Play and activities |
| 3:30 pm | Snack and medications |
| 4:30 pm | Quiet activities |
| 6:00 pm | Ride home |
Illustrative images
Who takes care of your child
A clinical team that knows children with complex needs, led by nurses.
Our standards
- Level 2 background screening for every staff member
- Nurses certified in CPR and pediatric advanced life support (PALS)(sample)
- Nurse-to-child ratios set by Florida rules, never exceeded
- Infection control and emergency plans shared with every family
- Registered nurses (RN)
- Lead each child’s care plan, assess and give treatments.
- Licensed practical nurses (LPN)
- Give medications, feedings and airway care all day.
- Certified nursing assistants (CNA)
- Help with daily care, mobility and comfort.
- Therapists (PT, OT, SLP, RT)
- Work on movement, daily skills, speech, feeding and breathing.
- Teachers and aides
- Lead learning, play and development for each age.
- Medical director(sample)
- A pediatrician who oversees clinical policies and care plans.
Tell us what your child needs. We’ll show you how we care for it.
What does your child need?
(sample)
-
Trach or ventilator. Airway care, suctioning and ventilator checks by RNs and LPNs all day, plus respiratory therapy.Treatment room
-
Feeding tube. G-tube, J-tube and NG feedings on schedule, special diets and feeding therapy.Kitchen Treatment room
-
Seizures. Continuous watch, your child’s seizure action plan and rescue medications given by nurses.Nurses station Treatment room
-
Oxygen. Oxygen and oximetry monitored by nurses all day, with respiratory therapy when prescribed.Treatment room
-
Medications and monitoring. Medications on schedule, vital signs and a daily report for you.Nurses station
-
Therapies. Physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapy, as prescribed.Treatment room Classrooms
Like every child here, they’ll also learn, play, eat and rest with us, and we coordinate with their doctors.
Tell a nurse about your child
Every child is different. A nurse will listen and tell you honestly whether HappyNest is the right place.
All 18 services
Registered and licensed practical nurses on site the whole day, vital signs and oximetry, and an individual care plan.
Where: Nurses station Treatment room
Trach care and suctioning, ventilators, CPAP and BiPAP, oxygen and nebulizer treatments.
Where: Treatment room
Given on schedule, documented and stored locked and secure.
Where: Nurses station
G-tube, J-tube and NG feedings, formulas and special diets.
Where: Kitchen Classrooms
Seizure monitoring and response, diabetes, catheters and ostomies.
Where: Treatment room Nurses station
A private room with its own bathroom and monitoring, for contagious illness or fragile immune systems.
Where: Isolation room
Movement, strength, balance and adaptive equipment.
Where: Treatment room
Fine motor skills, self-care and sensory integration.
Where: Treatment room Classrooms
Communication, augmentative devices (AAC) and swallowing.
Where: Treatment room
Chewing, safe swallowing and moving toward eating by mouth.
Where: Kitchen Treatment room
Chest physiotherapy and airway training.
Where: Treatment room
Early intervention from birth to 3, preschool and school support.
Where: Classrooms
Guided play, art and music.
Where: Classrooms
Prepared and supervised for each child’s diet.
Where: Kitchen
Cribs for babies and beds for older children, in a calm, softly lit room.
Where: Sleep room
Pick-up and drop-off at home with trained staff on board, across Miami-Dade.
Where: From your door
We work with your child’s doctors, Medicaid plan and school, and send you a daily report.
Where: Admin and records
Learn the care your child needs at home and plan each transition with us.
Where: Treatment room Classrooms
How to start
From the first call to the first day usually takes about two to three weeks.(sample)
Illustrative image 1. Call or visit
Day 1Tour the center and tell us about your child.
2. Get a prescription
Week 1Your child’s doctor prescribes PPEC care.
3. Share records
Weeks 1–2We gather medical records and your Medicaid information.
4. Coverage approval
Weeks 2–3We verify Medicaid or your managed-care plan and request authorization.
Illustrative image 5. First day
Week 3We plan pick-up, meet your child and start the care plan.
Illustrative images
What to have ready
- Your child’s Medicaid card
- Recent medical records or hospital discharge summary
- A list of medications and equipment
- Contact details for your child’s doctors
No cost with Florida Medicaid for eligible children; we verify coverage before the first day.
Find us in Miami
On Bird Road in Westchester, with parking at the door.
- Address
- 8700 SW 40th St (Bird Road)
Miami, FL 33165(sample) - Hours
- Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm(sample)
Closed weekends and major holidays
8700 SW 40th St (Bird Road)
Miami, FL 33165
The map loads from Google when you open it.
Questions parents ask
Up to 12 hours a day, Monday to Friday, depending on what your child’s doctor prescribes.
A change of clothes, diapers if needed, any formula or special food, and the equipment your child uses at home. We’ll give you a checklist before the first day.
Our nurses watch your child all day. If a contagious illness appears, your child is cared for in our isolation room and we call you right away.
Yes. Our team speaks English and Spanish, and every document is available in both languages.
For physicians and case managers
Refer a patient in minutes. We confirm receipt the same business day.(sample)
- Referral fax
- (305) 555-0143
- Referral email
- [email protected]
- Licensing
- AHCA PPEC Lic. #00000 · NPI 0000000000 (sample)
Send us
- Signed PPEC prescription with diagnosis (ICD-10) and requested days and hours
- History and physical or recent clinic notes
- Patient demographics and Medicaid ID
- Current medications, equipment and care orders
We care for children with: Tracheostomies and ventilators, feeding tubes, seizure disorders, chronic lung disease, complications of prematurity, heart conditions, cerebral palsy and genetic syndromes.(sample)
Come see the nest.
Tour the rooms, meet the nurses and ask us anything. It takes about 30 minutes.
