BLUF: It’s P-EBT (Pandemic EBT). It’s a one-time benefit that is part of the federal government’s Coronavirus response, and administered by the USDA and State (or District, as the case may be) SNAP programs. Cards were supposed to go out, starting in August. The OP’s kid was enrolled, most likely as a result of being enrolled in kindergarten at a CEP participating elementary school.

Kids are eligible if they were enrolled in FARM (Free and Reduced Price Meals) in 2021-2022, and/or received SNAP (Supplemental Nutrional Assistance Program) during the same time frame, and/or were enrolled in a CEP school for the 2022-2023 school year.

CEP provides individual schools (basically Title I schools) a waiver to provide FARM to their entire student bodies. It is a more tailored replacement for the blanket nationwide waivers provided by the USDA during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years.