Why is my tax return saying they can't issue refunds before Feb15 because of additional child tax credit?

I looked on the IRS website yesterday and it said my refund was received, now I look at it this morning and this is what it says:

According to the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, the IRS cannot issue refunds before February 15 for tax returns that claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit. This applies to the entire refund, even the portion not associated with these credits.


What does this mean?