Announcement

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

As stated in the communication sent by CWDS Customer Relations on December 23, 2025, the CWDS Executive Leadership Team has decided to cancel the CWS-CARES Production Pilot. In place of the Production Pilot, CWS-CARES will implement a Production Simulation environment.

The primary focus of CWS/CMS Release 9.7 was to enable IBM to deliver the technical solution required for the planned CWS-CARES Production Pilot. Since this activity is no longer needed for the newly planned CWS-CARES Production Simulation environment, CWS/CMS Release 9.7 is no longer required.

The next scheduled CWS/CMS release will be Release 9.8. The primary focus of this release is to add a mechanism that will allow CWS/CMS to be placed in a read-only state when CWS-CARES is implemented in October 2026. The CWDS Project is currently working with IBM to determine how many, if any, Data Quality improvement System Change Requests (SCRs) can be included with this release.

Release 9.8 is the projected final release for CWS/CMS. It is tentatively scheduled for implementation in June 2026. Further information will be announced as the release details are finalized.

Action Required

No action is required. Please forward any questions to CWDS Customer Relations.

Child Welfare Leadership, CWS-CARES Points of Contact: SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, Probation Points of Contact, Tribe Points of Contact:

Following our October 29, 2025, communication regarding the federal shutdown, APDU, and funding impacts, and in response to recent feedback from our federal partners, strategic adjustments have been made to the CWS-CARES readiness approach. These decisions, made collaboratively with the CWS-CARES Board of Directors, which includes a representative from the County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA), are designed to ensure the successful statewide CWS-CARES Go-Live in October 2026.  

The originally proposed CWS-CARES "Production Pilot" phase, which involved a full cutover for five counties starting in August 2026, is no longer feasible. Continuing with this plan would extend the Go-Live date beyond our current funding timeline, which would be challenging given state and federal budget constraints.

In place of the Production Pilot, we are implementing a Production Simulation environment starting in May 2026. The Production Simulation environment will be made available to 58 counties (child welfare and probation), Tribes with California Title IV-E Agreements, and state partners. Child Welfare Departments (CWDs) in all 58 counties will be expected to participate in the Production Simulation environment. Guidance will be issued to outline these expectations, to be fully executed using remaining and previously allocated Core Constituent Participation (CCP) funding. This environment will mirror the full CWS-CARES Version 1 system. It features CWS/CMS, CARES-Live, and RFA Greenfield converted data for referrals and cases, interfaces, and analytics enabling all participating organizations to test and validate operations in a realistic production-like setting. Converted external system data will be integrated as it becomes available. We are replacing the Production Pilot and planned testing activities with this expanded Production Simulation strategy. 

Child Welfare Digital Services (CWDS) will engage stakeholders to plan the Production Simulation rollout and determine the most effective way to manage county participation in testing and validation activities. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) will provide further instructions through forthcoming guidance.

Key Benefits: 

• Statewide Early Access: Rather than limiting early access to a small group of counties, this environment provides access to all staff across all organizations that will be system users. This environment will start to be available five months prior to Go-Live. Guidance on usage and implementation will be forthcoming. 

• Real-World Validation: The simulation mirrors a live production environment, populated with fully converted data, referrals, and cases from every county. Staff will practice workflows, run reports and forms, perform validation on data, see the workflow with interfaces, and understand how role-based access controls will function.  

• Enhanced Readiness: Users will simulate actual business processes, enhance their system exposure with hands-on experiences, and coordinate testing and activities collaboratively across organizations. All organizations will practice and utilize the new CWS-CARES Service Desk processes within the context of the new system and its tools (e.g., logging tickets, tracking issues, managing knowledge articles). 

Path Forward Timeline: 

To support this revised strategy and ensure proactive planning, we are preparing the following: 

• A standing monthly leadership meeting between the CDSS, the Office of Technology and Solutions Integration (OTSI) Directorates, selected County Human Services Directors, and CWDA: This group will provide guidance and direction on refreshing areas of stakeholder engagement and address escalations as needed to support the successful implementation of CWS‑CARES.
• Engagement with and seek funding for CalSAWS so that the Foster Care Eligibility Determination (FCED) is available throughout the Production Simulation period:  The ability for counties to test FCED using converted, real case data throughout the Production Simulation period is essential to the success of this approach.
• Focused areas of stakeholder engagement to support this approach: We will establish three key areas of focus, likely leveraging existing project workgroups, to drive critical input from counties, Tribes with California Title IV-E Agreements, and state partners on key activities to make this approach successful. Beginning in January 2026, we will partner with CWDA to recruit and confirm county participants for these workgroups. These include:
  • Training and Implementation 
  • Production Simulation 
  • Service Desk: Incident Management, Request Fulfillment, Escalation processes, and Interim Governance for system changes 
• Pilot Workgroup Sunset: The original Pilot workgroup will be dissolved (sunset) as its purpose has been superseded by Production Simulation and the statewide readiness focus.
• Communication Evaluation: We will also gather feedback on our communication channels and improve how we support you through this transition. We want to identify exactly what is working and where we need to adjust our outreach to better support you. 

This is a significant change driven by external constraints and is imperative to meet our October 2026 Go-Live date. We acknowledge the challenges for all organizational partners and reaffirm our commitment to support readiness efforts. Your partnership remains vital as we proceed with this refined path to a successful statewide CWS-CARES implementation in October 2026. 

Action Required

No action is required.

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

To assist counties with cleanup of CWS/CMS user accounts and to correctly determine the number of accounts needed in CWS-CARES, an automated approach to deactivate inactive CWS/CMS user accounts has been proposed with System Change Request (SCR) 9039. To align with CWS-CARES user account administration, the SCR will deactivate user accounts that have not logged into CWS/CMS within the previous 90 days. Of the current 30,700 active user accounts in CWS/CMS, approximately 8,900 accounts have not logged in within the previous 90 days.

Important notes regarding this proposed automated process:

• All User IDs (active and inactive) will be migrated from CWS/CMS to CWS-CARES;
• The SCR will be developed outside of traditional CWS/CMS Release timelines;
• It is expected that a large first-run for deactivating CWS/CMS User IDs will be followed by a smaller run prior to moving to CWS-CARES;
• A county can change a user from inactive to active within CWS-CARES once migrated (provided a valid current email is used);
• Once CWS-CARES is live, the user accounts will automatically be deactivated if the user has not logged in a 90-day period.

Exact details on the functionality of the SCR are still being developed. Design and development is expected to be completed by the end of December 2025. After internal testing, the change is anticipated to run in the CWS/CMS production application by the end of January 2026. Updates will be provided as the details and schedule are finalized.

Action Required

Send questions and/or concerns regarding this automated process to the Data Quality portal’s mailbox at CWSDataQuality@otsi.ca.gov.

CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:

CWDS Website Update: The FCED Hub 

We are excited to introduce the FCED Hub, a new page on the CWDS website for the latest information and resources on Foster Care Eligibility and Determination (FCED). Explore eligibility demonstrations, Governance Committee meeting materials, and other helpful resources — now all in one convenient location.  

To access the hub, visit the CWDS Portals page, select FCED Hub, and log in using your county email address. 

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Recap: First Biweekly Binti Data Conversion Meeting on Thursday, October 30 

The first biweekly External Systems Data Conversion meeting for Binti counties was held on Thursday, October 30, 2025 from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. 105 participants joined the session across the 43 Binti counties. Thank you to everyone who participated! 

The meeting recording has been posted to the External Systems Portal; the presentation and Q&A document will be available in the coming weeks. Join us November 13, 2025 from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.  for the next Binti Data Conversion session. 

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Share Your Feedback and Subscribe 

Thank you for following our progress! Share your feedback on this CWS-CARES Weekly Digest here: CWS-CARES Weekly Digest Feedback Form. Subscribe to future issues here: CWS-CARES Weekly Digest Subscription Form.   

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Action Required

We request that all CARES Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs) and Implementation Coordinators coordinate and distribute the CARES Weekly Digest to all staff impacted by CWS-CARES, at their discretion. 

All CWS and Probation SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

The CWS/CMS application will be in read-only mode for one hour during the time change from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time on Sunday, November 2, 2025. To prevent duplicate time stamps, users will not be able to write to the database starting at 1:00 AM, after the clocks have been moved back from 2:00 AM. The application will return to the normal read/write mode at 2:00 AM Standard Time.

This will not affect CARES-Live.

Action Required

Contact the IBM Help Desk (800-428-8268) if the CWS/CMS application has not returned to read/write mode after 2:00 AM Standard Time.

Child Welfare Leadership, CWS-CARES Points of Contact: SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, Probation Points of Contact, Tribe Points of Contact:

This communication is a critical update on the status of the CWS-CARES Project’s Advance Planning Document Update (APDU), specific implementation activities, and the impact of the recent federal shutdown.

Over the last week, an update was shared with county leadership and partners, Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC), and Tribes with California Title IV-E Agreements. With the federal shutdown beginning on October 1, 2025, the CWS-CARES APDU has not been able to be submitted to, or approved by, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Given the current lack of approved federal funding and the uncertainty surrounding the federal shutdown, work on specific implementation activities including CWS-CARES Pilot, Process Simulation, Training, and Sandbox will be paused while options are assessed.

CWS-CARES Project executives are conducting discussions over the next several weeks to further define the path forward. We are committed to communicating the final decisions and impacts as quickly as possible.

Immediate Actions and Support Status

• Pilot and Process Simulation: (Note: Process Simulation is not the same as Process Information Sessions. They are separate and unique activities.) Specific meetings and activities for these areas will immediately stop for one month pending further evaluation. The Monthly County Pilot Workgroup meeting will continue as planned. 
• Sandbox: Existing Sandbox users will continue to have access to the sandbox and be supported as they are today. However, the Sandbox rollout to new users and all activities and planning related to adding future cohorts are stopped pending evaluation.
• Training: Specific Implementation Readiness/Training meetings will continue featuring potential facilitator changes and a revised agenda focusing on external systems planning, with training topics excluded. More details will be shared soon.

We want to reassure you that significant areas of the CWS-CARES Project are continuing without interruption including prototype and build reviews, Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST), forms, reports, data conversion and external systems activities. All work being performed by your organizations including readiness activities continues in the areas listed above.

The CWS-CARES Version 1 Go-Live Date remains October 2026.

Thank you for your understanding and continued partnership as we navigate these necessary adjustments. We will share the determined path forward when the executive discussions are complete.

Action Required

Please share this update with all appropriate personnel.

CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:
 

The CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop - Reminder

The online CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop is now open and ready for business until Friday, September 26, 2025. You can shop our exclusive collection of CWS-CARES branded items online. This limited-time shop is open to everyone, including 58 California county child welfare and probation departments and CWDS Project staff. 

For more details regarding shipping fees, invoice requests, and future Pop-Up Shops, please reference the following link: Featured Items and FAQs. Happy Shopping! 

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CWS-CARES Process Information Sessions

The CWS-CARES Team is delivering a series of virtual Process Information Sessions to walk through new processes in CWS-CARES to explain how they will impact the way staff complete their work. These sessions are designed to ensure participants understand new and revised business processes so they can update their policies, processes, and workflows as needed. 

To date,18 process information sessions have been completed – 7 sessions for Intake (Screening and Investigations) and 11 for Placement/Eligibility. The next set of sessions will be held in September and October and will focus on Assessments, Supervised Visitation, and Case Closure; Aftercare and Re-Entry; Services and Plans; Prevention Services; and Adoptions.  

To view the session recordings, slides, and Q&A documents, visit CWS-CARES Process Information Sessions Session Materials.

For questions, please contact the CWDS Implementation Team.

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External Systems Monthly Meetings

The CWS-CARES Project launched a new External Systems Monthly Meeting Series to create a consistent space for organizations to connect with the Project team, share updates, ask questions, and stay aligned on upcoming activities. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month from 10–11 AM.  

Topics covered so far: 

• July 10: Kickoff and External Systems Overview 
• August 14: Resource Family Approval (RFA) Overview 
• September 11: Data Conversion and County Engagement Milestones 

Upcoming Session Topics:

• October 9: Continued Operations – Validating and Preparing External Systems for CWS-CARES V1 Go-Live 
• November 13: Exploring Validation Tools and Activities Available 

If you would like to receive a meeting invite, please contact the External Systems Coordination Unit (ESCU) Team. To access session records, slides, and Q&A documents, visit the External Systems Portal: Meeting Materials.  

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New CWS-CARES Slogan

We have developed a brand statement / slogan for CWS-CARES that articulates the product vision & values. The new CWS-CARES slogan is:  
 
“Advancing child welfare, together. CWS-CARES supports the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families across California through enhanced data collection and informed decision-making.” 

Organizations are encouraged to use this slogan in materials, presentations, and communications to reinforce the shared vision of collaboration and commitment to improving outcomes for children and families across California. 

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Guidelines for Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bots/Assistants in Meetings

This is a reminder that the CWDS Office has provided guidance on the appropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI) bots/assistants in meetings.  

The attached document titled Guidelines for Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bots/Assistants in Meetings describes the guidelines.  

These guidelines went into effect on September 2, 2025. 

While the context of the guidelines pertains to CWDS organized meetings, it is recommended that they be followed whenever CWDS managed systems are in discussion. These guidelines should be communicated at the start of any meetings that you host. 

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Share Your Feedback and Subscribe

Thank you for following our progress! Share your feedback on this CWS-CARES Weekly Digest here: CWS-CARES Weekly Digest Feedback Form. Subscribe to future issues here: CWS-CARES Weekly Digest Subscription Form. 

Action Required

We request that all CARES Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs) and Implementation Coordinators coordinate and distribute the CARES Weekly Digest to all staff impacted by CWS-CARES, at their discretion. 

CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:

An important goal for CWS-CARES is to improve the efficiency of forms and document management for workers. CWS-CARES supports each organization's unique forms and document needs by accommodating county-specific templates created in both Microsoft Word and Adobe Experience Manager (AEM). 

Because AEM is a new tool for many organizations, the project team recommends using Microsoft Word for creating county-specific templates. Using it will save time and make the transition easier since most counties are already familiar with Word and have existing templates in that format.

While creating forms in AEM will still be an option, using Microsoft Word may be a more efficient way for counties and organizations to prepare their priority forms for CARES V1.

Important Forms Updates and Resources

• All counties have been given an inventory of their county‑specific forms which are available in CWS/CMS. ​
• The ‘CARES Forms Tracker’ is available in the CARES Forms Workgroup Microsoft Teams channel. The tracker contains all state forms for CARES V1 development. ​If you do not already have access, please contact the CARES Forms Workgroup at otsicwdscaresforms@otsi.ca.gov.
• A new environment, CARES102 (County Development), is available to specifically support county forms development activities. User onboarding is underway and will continue as additional users are trained and provisioned.
• Do you need help with forms management? The CARES Forms Workgroup can assist. Contact them at otsicwdscaresforms@otsi.ca.gov if you have any questions.

We appreciate your continued commitment to staying informed. 
 

Action Required

No action required.

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