P-EBT eligibility for newborn while waiting for CalFresh approval?

P-EBT is specifically for school-aged children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. It's not for infants or toddlers who aren't in school yet. The program was created to help families when schools were closed during the pandemic, though it has been extended in some form for 2025. Once your CalFresh application is approved, you might want to look into WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) for your baby. WIC provides formula, baby food, and nutritional support specifically for pregnant women, new mothers, and children under 5. It's a separate program with its own application process, but many CalFresh recipients also qualify for WIC.

just so you know p-ebt is ending soon anyway, my kids got it during covid but the amounts keep getting smaller. wic is way better for babies they give you formula and later baby food. you dont need calfresh to get wic!!

To clarify some information: P-EBT (Pandemic EBT) was specifically created for school-aged children who would normally receive free or reduced-price meals at school. Your newborn wouldn't qualify for P-EBT even after your CalFresh is approved. As others mentioned, WIC is the program designed for infants and young children. You can absolutely apply for WIC while your CalFresh application is pending - they're completely separate programs with different eligibility requirements. WIC provides specific nutritional items like formula, baby food, milk, eggs, cheese, etc. Regarding your pending CalFresh application, if it's been more than 10 days since you applied, you can check your status through BenefitsCal.com or by calling your county office. Many new parents don't realize that having a newborn might qualify you for expedited CalFresh processing (decision within 3 days) if your household income and resources are below certain thresholds.

I had the EXACT same issue trying to follow up on my CalFresh application when I had my baby last year! The phone system is a nightmare - I spent literally hours trying to reach someone. After getting disconnected three times, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at the county office in under 20 minutes. Basically, they call and wait on hold for you, then call you when they reach a real person. Saved me so much stress with a newborn in the house! Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 By the way, definitely apply for WIC right away - you don't need to wait for CalFresh approval, and they can sometimes get you benefits the same day you apply.

Yes, it's completely legitimate. I was skeptical at first too, but it really works. They just call and navigate the phone tree for you, then connect you with the worker when they finally get through. Saved me hours of frustration with a screaming baby in the background!

congrats on ur baby!! when i had my son i got both calfresh and wic. they give different benefits tho. calfresh u can buy almost any food but wic only gives specific things like formula milk eggs cheese cereal etc. but both helped alot!!

The system is SO frustrating!! I've been on CalFresh for 3 years and they still manage to mess up my benefits every few months. Just a heads up - if you qualify for CalFresh you'll almost certainly qualify for WIC too, but like others said they're separate programs. Also, when your baby gets older (like 1-2 years) don't forget to report the change to CalFresh because babies count as household members and might increase your benefit amount! I didn't know this and missed out on like 6 months of higher benefits because nobody told me I needed to report my baby getting older and eating solid food. The county doesn't exactly go out of their way to tell you these things that might HELP you.

You would report that on your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) or during your annual recertification, whichever comes first. You don't need a special form to report that your child is now eating solid food and needs to be counted differently for the benefit calculation. Just make sure your household composition and expenses are accurately reflected on those regular reporting forms. When you get your CalFresh approval, pay attention to which months you're assigned to submit your SAR7 (usually at the 6-month mark). Missing the SAR7 deadline is the most common reason people lose their benefits unexpectedly.

I think everyone is confusing the OP with misinformation! P-EBT is absolutely available for children under school age if they attend daycare or Head Start programs that participate in federal meal programs. My 3yr old got P-EBT last year through his daycare. But you need to check if your specific childcare provider participates in the federal food program.

Thanks everyone for all your help! I'm going to apply for WIC today and follow up on my CalFresh application if I don't hear back by the end of the week. I'll try that Claimyr service if I keep having trouble getting through on the phone. It's so confusing navigating all these different programs as a new mom, and I really appreciate all the advice!