Will my 4-month-old get P-EBT if older child is already receiving it in LA County?

P-EBT is only for school-aged children who would normally receive free or reduced-price meals at school. Your 4-month-old wouldn't qualify since they're not in school yet. If your infant needs food assistance, you should look into WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program, which is specifically designed for babies and young children under 5. They provide formula, baby food, and other nutritious options. Your older child's P-EBT is separate from any benefits for your infant.

Oh I didn't realize it was just for school kids! That makes sense now that I think about it (pandemic EBT for missed school meals). We are on WIC already for the baby, I just thought maybe she'd get the P-EBT too since it came automatically for my older one. Thanks for explaining!

P-EBT is specifically for kids who would normally get free school meals but couldnt cause of COVID closures or absenses. A 4 month old obviusly doesnt go to school so they wouldnt qualify. Have you tried applying for regular CalFresh? That can help the whole family including the baby. Also WIC is really good for infants.

Yeah we have CalFresh too! I just saw all these posts about P-EBT and got confused when only one card came. Didn't connect that it's specifically for SCHOOL meals. Makes total sense now, thanks!

Just to add some clarity - P-EBT (Pandemic EBT) in 2025 is specifically for school-age children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, and the distribution is happening alphabetically in LA County. Your daughter with 'A' is in the first group, which is why she received hers today.\n\nYour 4-month-old won't receive P-EBT because infants don't participate in school meal programs. However, you should definitely look into:\n\n1. WIC (Women, Infants & Children) - Specifically for pregnant women, infants, and children up to age 5\n2. Regular CalFresh benefits - Can include infants as part of your household\n\nIf you're having trouble reaching anyone at the county office about your benefits, I'd recommend Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you skip the phone wait and get connected to a real person. Saved me hours when I was trying to add my newborn to my benefits! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

Thank you for the detailed explanation! We're already on WIC and CalFresh, I just misunderstood how P-EBT worked. And thanks for the Claimyr tip - might need that next time I have to recertify. The hold times are CRAZY at LA County!

My friend's baby got one last year and she was only 8 months! But maybe the rules changed for 2025? Idk 🤷‍♀️

Your friend's baby definitely didn't receive P-EBT specifically. She might have received a CalFresh EBT card or WIC benefits, but P-EBT is exclusively for school-age children enrolled in free/reduced meal programs. The programs have different colored cards though, so they can look similar. P-EBT has never been available for infants since it specifically replaces school meals.

THEY MESSED UP MY KIDS P-EBT TOO!!! One kid got it (middle name S) but my youngest didnt get anything!!! Called the number like 50 times and it just hangs up on me! This whole system is garbage!!! I'm going to the office tomorrow to DEMAND answers because this is ridiculous!

Different situation actually - P-EBT is only for school-aged children who qualify for free/reduced school meals. If your youngest isn't in school yet, they wouldn't qualify for P-EBT. That's probably why they didn't get a card. If both kids are in school and both qualify for free/reduced meals, then yes, something might be wrong.

Both my kids are in school! Kindergarten and 3rd grade! Both get free lunch! Only one card came! This is exactly what I'm talking about - the system is broken and nobody can even answer a simple question!!!

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - the P-EBT distribution for LA County in 2025 is happening in alphabetical waves based on the child's first name. So far they've only distributed to A-D names. If your older child's name starts with A, that's why she received hers already. The schedule should be:\n\nA-D: This week\nE-L: Next week\nM-R: Following week\nS-Z: Final week\n\nBut again, your 4-month-old won't receive one since P-EBT is specifically for children in school meal programs.

Thank you! That schedule is really helpful. Makes sense why my daughter got hers already. And now I understand why my baby won't get one at all. I appreciate everyone explaining!

When I was confused about P-EBT vs regular CalFresh and my kids' benefits, I couldn't get through on the phone either. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual person at the LA County office in about 10 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8\n\nThe worker explained that P-EBT is only for school kids, but my toddler could be included in our regular CalFresh benefits. Might be worth checking out if you have more questions about your benefits.

does that actually work?? i'm so sick of calling and getting hung up on after waiting 45+ minutes!!

It worked for me! Way better than getting disconnected after waiting forever. The worker was actually helpful once I got through.

P-EBT is being sent out in LA county based on first name. My kids are K and P and havent gotten theres yet. Your A-name kid got it first cause of the alphabet. But your baby wont get one period since its only for school kids. Just to save you the worry of waiting!

Thanks everyone for your help! I totally understand now - P-EBT is just for school kids who get free/reduced lunch, not for babies. We'll stick with WIC and regular CalFresh for the little one. Learning something new every day about these benefit programs! 👶🏻