Only received one P-EBT card for two eligible children - will second card arrive later?

Yes, this is normal! P-EBT cards are often mailed out in batches, even for children in the same household. My kids' cards arrived about 10 days apart last distribution. The state processes them by age groups sometimes, or even alphabetically by school. I'd recommend waiting at least 2 weeks before calling the P-EBT hotline. If you haven't received the second card by then, definitely call to check on status.

i got 3 kids and got cards on 3 diff days lol. system is always a mess but they come eventually. my youngest got hers first then middle then oldest kid.

Actually I'm dealing with this exact problem right now, but it's been THREE WEEKS since I got the first card and still nothing for my other child!!! I finally called yesterday after being on hold for like 90 minutes and they told me there was some kind of "processing error" with my second child. Now I have to send in proof that she's enrolled in school and gets free lunch even though she OBVIOUSLY is since she's at the same school as her brother who already got a card! This system is ridiculous and now I'm worried we won't get those benefits at all.

Did u check if both ur kids r registered properly 4 free lunch? Sometimes u have to fill out separate forms 4 each kid even at same school. That happened 2 my cousin last year and it took forever 2 get fixed.

I had to deal with this last year when my daughter's P-EBT card never showed up. After weeks of trying to get through on the P-EBT hotline with no luck, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach someone. They connected me to a live person in about 20 minutes instead of me spending hours on hold or getting disconnected. The agent was able to verify my daughter's card had been issued but sent to our old address even though the school had our updated info. They reissued it right away. You might want to check out their service demo: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 if you end up needing to call. Saved me so much frustration!

did you update your address with the school recently? my neighbor had this happen and it turned out one kid's card went to their old address even tho they updated their info with the school. the school and P-EBT databases don't always sync up right away. so maybe check with your old neighbors if you moved in the last year?

Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing in the comments: P-EBT is separate from CalFresh, though many families qualify for both. P-EBT cards are mailed based on data from schools, while CalFresh is county-administered. For P-EBT issues, you need to contact the P-EBT hotline at 877-328-9677, not your regular CalFresh worker. The second card will almost certainly arrive within 2 weeks, but if not, be ready with both children's names, dates of birth, school information, and your mailing address when you call.

Based on the 2025 P-EBT distribution schedule, they're sending cards out by age groups and school districts in phases. Children ages 5-8 were in the first distribution group, which explains why your 7-year-old received a card first. Children 9-13 are in the second phase, scheduled to receive cards approximately 10-14 days later. This is intentional to avoid overwhelming the system. Unless there's a specific issue with your 10-year-old's eligibility, the card should arrive by next week. If it doesn't arrive within the expected timeframe, you can request a replacement through the P-EBT portal or by calling the hotline.