CWS-CARES

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

In this Weekly Digest:

• CWS-CARES Training Strategy: Progress Update & Next Steps 
• The May 2026 Progress and Engagement Summary is Now Available  
• CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 Recap | Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #8 
• Introducing the CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight! 

_______

CWS-CARES Training Strategy: Progress Update & Next Steps 

Following the May 13, 2026 communication regarding the draft Training Schedule, Customer Relations distributed an update on May 22, 2026 on the CWS-CARES training strategy, current activities, and next steps. The update outlines timelines for Train-the-Trainer (TTT) and End-User Instructor-Led Training, as well as a summary of what has been completed and what is currently in progress to support county readiness ahead of the CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1) Go-Live. 

The email highlights: 

• Train-the-Trainer (TTT): June 15 – August 14, 2026 
• End-User Instructor-Led Training: August 3 – October 9, 2026 
• Role Based Training Curriculum: Currently being designed for different user roles, with completion planned for mid-June prior to TTT 
• County Training Coordination:  One-on-one meetings with county training coordinators are underway to build tailored training plans, with final schedule reconciliation due by June 8, 2026 

For full details, refer to the email sent by Customer Relations on Thursday, May 22, 2026 at 9:35 PM PST with the subject: CWS-CARES Training Strategy: Progress Update & Next Steps – May 22, 2026. 

Please contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov with any questions.

_______

The May 2026 Progress and Engagement Summary is Now Available  

The CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summaries provide a concise overview of the collaborative efforts and achievements of CWS-CARES.  CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summary | May 2026 features engagement analytics for the April 2026 reporting period across the following subject areas:  

• Project Communications  
• Communication Effectiveness Survey #3 Results 
• County Participation in Prototype and Build Reviews  
• Forms and Data  
• External Systems, Interfaces, and Analytics  
• Implementation, OCM, and Training Activities  
• Production Simulation 

 View all CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summaries on the CWDS website: CWS_CARES_Progress_and_Engagement_Updates.  

_______

CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 Recap | Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #8 

CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 – May 27, 2026: 

Thank you to everyone who attended CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 on Wednesday, May 27, 2026! We were pleased to have 626 participants across 48 counties and over 4 partner organizations join the session live. We received 167 questions during the session, which we are working to answer and share with you as soon as possible. 

The session recording is now available on the Stakeholder Webinar Materials | Child Welfare Digital Services page under Stakeholder Briefing #7.

Please log in with your county or organization email address to view the recording. An accessible PDF of the presentation slides and a summary of the session Q&A will be available in the coming weeks in the same location. 

CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #8 – June 24, 2026: 

Registration is now open for the next CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing! We encourage you to attend Stakeholder Briefing #8 on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. Register now. Note: A separate calendar invitation will not be sent by the CWS-CARES Project. Please manually add the .ics attachment in the registration confirmation email to your calendar. 

All stakeholders impacted by the changes to CWS-CARES are welcome to attend. Updates will include: 

• Project Status Update 
• Preparing for Production Simulation 
• Production Simulation Demo 
• Training 
• Organizational Change Management (OCM) 

View the full agenda on the CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #8 Registration page. We hope to see you on June 24, 2026! 

Please contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov with any questions.

_______

Introducing the CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight! 

We are excited to introduce a new feature to the Weekly Digest – the CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight! Based on your feedback, each week we will highlight a CWS-CARES functionality to help you prepare for and navigate CWS-CARES, from FAQs and system functionality to tools and job aids. Be on the lookout for a new resource featured each week! 

This Week’s Functionality Spotlight: Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment (Kin-GAP) Program 

This week, we are spotlighting the Kin-GAP Program. On February 25, 2026, CWS-CARES shared a demonstration of Kin-GAP functionality with CalSAWS, showing how social workers can track data across the Case Management, Courts, and Placement sections in CWS-CARES, and how that data flows through FCED to the CalSAWS Eligibility Worker. The Kin-GAP scenario was also made available to EUST 3 testers on March 23, 2026, and will be provided to Production Simulation users as a training resource. 

To learn more, visit the Kin-GAP Demo Highlights the Link Between CWS-CARES & CalSAWS | Child Welfare Digital Services page.  

Have a question?  

Send it to Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov and we will be happy to help. 

______________

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 CWS-CARES Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs) and Implementation Coordinators coordinate and distribute the CWS-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:

We are providing an important update regarding an adjustment to the CWS-CARES Production Simulation schedule and kickoff for access to converted data.  

During our final technical setup and validation phase yesterday, issues were uncovered related to data conversion and user access. To allow time to address these issues, the converted data deployment originally targeted for May 26, 2026, will now occur on June 8, 2026.  

The Production Simulation Converted Data Kickoffs currently scheduled on May 26^th and May 27th will be rescheduled to June 8^th and June 9^th to align with when the environment is officially released to the counties and organizations.  

We are actively working to resolve these validation items and fully expect to maintain our July 6^th timeline for the rollout of Production Simulation to all users. Please continue to use the current environment for now. Note that the SDM and Case Management Assessment interfaces will be available in that environment.

Action Required

No action required.

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

We recognize that forms development has been a significant concern for counties, so we are excited to share a major update that will drastically reduce county time building forms and ease the pressure on county teams.  

The CWS-CARES project is currently finalizing a work order with one of our vendors to provide dedicated resources to build the top-prioritized 2,400 county CWS/CMS forms. This ensures that county forms in CWS/CMS are developed for testing in CWS-CARES Production Simulation prior to Code Freeze on July 31, 2026. 

Below are the details on how the two types of county forms will be handled: 

• County Forms Maintained in CWS/CMS: Our project vendor will begin developing the top-prioritized 2,400 county forms that are currently stored within the legacy CWS/CMS system. The project is providing resources to develop these specific forms.  

• County Forms Maintained Outside of CWS/CMS: Please note that the vendor-led development applies only to county forms stored in CWS/CMS. It does not include county forms stored in external or local systems. Counties will remain responsible for developing and updating any forms housed in their own external systems. Forms may be built within the CARES 102 environment. Once built, forms may be published to the Production Simulation environment to test and validate. 

Additional guidance, timelines, and instructions will be shared with county form authors soon. 

We know how much of a priority — and a concern — forms have been for county teams, which is why we are incredibly pleased to share this news. Thank you for your continued partnership, dedication, and invaluable feedback as we work together to build CWS-CARES . 

Action Required

No action required.

All Pilot County RFA Implementation Coordinators and SPOCs:

The CWS-CARES team has scheduled maintenance activity for the CWS-CARES production environment for Tuesday, May 26, 2026, beginning at 5:00 PM and concluding at 8:00 PM. During the maintenance window, the CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process will be accessible for pilot counties Fresno, Placer, and Santa Clara. However, document related functionality will not be accessible. 

Action Required

No action required from end-users during this maintenance window.

If users experience any issues with the CWS-CARES, please follow your county process for reporting issues. CWS-CARES County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at Servicedesk@cwds.ca.gov during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.

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

In this Weekly Digest:

• CWS-CARES and Data Exchange Fact Sheet is Now Available
• Update: CWS-CARES Implementation Timeline
• Final Reminder: Nine (9) Days Left to Register for CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7
• CWS-CARES is Observing Memorial Day on May 25, 2026
• CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week

_______

CWS-CARES and Data Exchange Fact Sheet is Now Available

The CWS-CARES and Data Exchange Fact Sheet is now available on the CWS-CARES Infographics, Flyers, and Slogans page on the CWDS website. This resource provides an overview of how interfaces and state reporting systems connect to CWS-CARES, what historical data is included, and what data is available in CWS-CARES after Go-Live. It also covers historical data from external systems selected for CWS-CARES V1 data conversion. Topics include:

• Interfaces connecting to CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1)
• State Reporting Systems
• External Systems selected for CARES V1 Data Conversion

Please contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov with any questions.

_______

Update: CWS-CARES Implementation Timeline

The CWS-CARES Project has developed a high-level Implementation Timeline to outline key activities for Implementation, Training, and Organizational Change Management (OCM) from May 2026 through January 2027. This timeline is intended to support counties and organizations in their internal planning. Please note this is a draft undergoing final validation, and a visual summarizing these activities will be posted to the CWDS website soon.

Key activity areas include:

• Implementation: May 2026 – January 2027
• Training: June – October 2026
• Organizational Change Management (OCM): May – November 2026

For a full breakdown of activities and dates, see the CWDS Bulletins | Child Welfare Digital Services. Please contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov with any questions.

_______

Final Reminder: Nine (9) Days Left to Register for CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7

Thank you to the 530+ stakeholders who have already registered for the next Stakeholder Briefing on May 27, 2026! If you’ve not yet registered, we encourage you to attend the live webinar on May 27, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. All stakeholders impacted by the changes to CWS-CARES are welcome to attend, ask questions, and hear updates from Project leadership.

Register now at: CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 | Registration. Note: A separate calendar invitation will not be sent by the CWS-CARES Project. Please manually add the .ics attachment in the registration confirmation email to your calendar.

The full agenda for the May 2026 Stakeholder Briefing is available to view on the CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 Registration page. Updates will include:

• Implementation
• Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) 3
• Production Simulation
• Resource Family Approval (RFA) Portal Demonstration

View the dates for all upcoming CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefings in 2026 on the Stakeholder Briefings and Webinars page on the CWDS website.

Thank you for participating in our Stakeholder Briefing webinar series! We hope to see you on May 27, 2026 to continue the conversation on the upcoming transition to CWS-CARES.

_______

CWS-CARES is Observing Memorial Day on May 25, 2026

The CWS-CARES Project will observe the Memorial Day holiday on May 25, 2026. Please anticipate a delay in communications on this day. Due to the holiday, no Weekly Digest email will be distributed on Monday, May 25, 2026. Weekly Digest emails will resume on Monday, June 1, 2026.

_______

CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week

Each week, we highlight a common question from counties and partner organizations, along with a clear, practical answer to  help you better understand CWS-CARES functionality.  

May 18, 2026 FAQ of the Week: 

Q Which interfaces will be available in CWS-CARES Production Simulation? 

A: All interfaces will be available in Production Simulation. This includes Case Management Assessment (CMA) - P-CIS, Foster Care Eligibility Determination (FCED) – CalSAWS, County Expense Claim Reporting Information System (CECRIS), Data Extract from California Department of Education (CDE), Regional Center Services for Department of Developmental Services ( DDS), Juvenile Network (JNET), Facility Management System (LIS/FAS), and Structured Decision Making (SDM).

To view all of the CWS-CARES FAQs, please visit the CWDS website: CWS-CARES FAQs | CWDS Website. Have a question? Send it to Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov and we will be happy to help.

_______

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 CWS-CARES Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs) and Implementation Coordinators coordinate and distribute the CWS-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:

We are sharing a high-level CWS-CARES Implementation Timeline from May 2026 to January 2027. This timeline includes the key activities for Implementation, Training, and Organizational Change Management (OCM) and is provided to support counties and organizations in their internal planning and awareness efforts.

Please note that this is a draft currently undergoing final validation for the project’s master schedule. Dates may be slightly adjusted following these final reviews.  Following the commitment to distribute this initial information by May 15th, a finalized version will be published soon.

Key County Activities and Dates: May 2026 to January 2027

Implementation

• Monthly Readiness Checkpoints to mid-October
• Develop Project Go-Live Support Plan: 5/11– 6/30
• Org Support Plan Template: 7/1–7/31
• Go-Live Support starting on 10/26 (Over-the-Shoulder Support to 11/25; Virtual Command Center to 1/24/2027)

1. In-App Learning: Self-Paced Online Training (Enablement): 5/26–10/23Enablement Programs are step-by-step instructions viewable in CWS-CARES and will be available in the production simulation environment beginning 5/26, with additional modules added on a rolling basis through 7/17. Post-launch, the Enablement suite will undergo iterative updates to stay aligned with the system.

2. Train-the-Trainer: 6/15–10/23

• Self-Paced Online Training (Enablement): 6/1– 8/1
• Participate in TTT Sessions: 6/15 - 8/14
• Ongoing TTT Office Hours & Support Channel 6/15-10/23

3. End Users Training: 6/15–10/23

• Self-Paced Online Training (Enablement): 6/15–10/9
• Instructor-Led Training (ILT): 8/3–10/23
• Refresher Training: 10/8–10/23

Organizational Change Management (OCM)

1. Change Champion/Super User Network: 5/11–11/1

• Establish Network and Planning: 5/11 to 6/15
• Execute Network Plan: 6/15 to 11/1

2. Business Process Redesign (BPR): 6/15–11/1

• OAS, Deep Dives, Delta Workshops 6/15 - 9/15
• Organization Support Materials to Document Deltas: 7/15 – 9/15
• Statewide Impact Register 9/15 - 10/15
• Key Findings: 10/15 -11/1

Training Structure and Durations
The training strategy utilizes a blended approach of on-demand and live sessions, with specific prerequisites for each phase:

1. On-Demand Training (Prerequisite):

• Up to 40 hours of on-demand material will be available.
• This is a mandatory prerequisite for both Train-the-Trainer (TTT) and End-User Training (EUT).
• The actual number of hours required will vary depending on a user's specific role.

2. Train-the-Trainer (TTT):

• The estimated duration is up to 2 weeks.
• Timing is adjustable based on a trainer's prior experience with CWS/CMS and CWS-CARES; those new to both systems will have more prep time.
• Exact schedules will be finalized once all trainers are identified.

3. End-User Training (EUT):

• Most staff will require 1 to 3 days of training.
• A small subset of users needing comprehensive training across all modules may require additional time.

We will provide further details as they become available, with a target update scheduled for the end of this month. We look forward to partnering with the counties and organizations to ensure a smooth transition and will continue to provide regular updates as we approach the October 2026 Go-Live.

Action Required
No action needed.

Salesforce Webinar Recording Participants:

Thank you for your participation in the Salesforce Recorded Webinar on April 9, 2026. We appreciate the time you took to join the session and share your feedback.

Following feedback from our county partners, we have decided not to release the recent webinar recording. As the session focused on general Salesforce navigation, some content may not fully reflect the CWS-CARES user experience.

Instead, these topics will be integrated into upcoming CWS-CARES training to ensure users receive guidance tailored to our platform.

We appreciate your continued partnership as we refine our materials to better serve CWS-CARES users.

Action Required

If you have any questions, please contact CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov.

All Pilot County RFA Implementation Coordinators and SPOCs:

The CWS-CARES team has scheduled maintenance activity for the CWS-CARES production environment for Friday, May 8, 2026, beginning at 6:00 AM and concluding at 8:00 AM. During the maintenance window, the CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process will be accessible for pilot counties Fresno, Placer, and Santa Clara. However, document related functionality will not be accessible.

Action Required

No action required from end-users during this maintenance window.

If users experience any issues with the CWS-CARES, please follow your county process for reporting issues. CWS-CARES County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at Servicedesk@cwds.ca.gov during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.  

CWS-CARES SPOCs:

May 1, 2026 UPDATE: This is an update to the February 19, 2026, communication requesting participants for Data Conversion

Mock Cycles 1 and 2.  Mock Cycle 2 is the next full load of organization data from CWS/CMS and select systems into CWS-CARES for review. This validation helps confirm that real-world records appear accurately and completely in the system. 

Mock Cycle 2 data will now be loaded into the Production Simulation environment. Beginning May 26, 2026, participants will be able to validate converted data as part of Production Simulation activities rather than through a separate Mock Cycle 2 process. 

Support for data validation will be provided through regular support channels, including Office Hours. 

Thank you for your continued partnership and flexibility as we align Production Simulation and data conversion readiness activities. 

If you have questions about data conversion, please contact CWDS Data Conversion.

______________________________________________________________________

February 19, 2026

Participants Requested for Data Conversion Mock Cycles 1 and 2 – Survey Due March 2, 2026

All CWS-CARES SPOCs:

As CWS-CARES continues statewide readiness efforts, we appreciate your continued partnership in data validation activities.

The next phase is Data Conversion Mock Cycles 1 and 2. These are full test runs where organization data from CWS/CMS and select systems are converted into CWS-CARES to review real-world records and confirm the data appears accurately and completely in the system.

We are seeking one (1) to five (5) participants per organization who are familiar with their data to support this effort. All participants will receive calendar invitations and communications for both cycles, so you do not need to indicate which cycle(s) they plan to support.

Timeline

Mock Cycle 1: March 23, 2026 – April 10, 2026
Mock Cycle 2: April 21, 2026 – May 4, 2026

Participants may support one or both cycles. Mock Cycle 2 will include system improvements, sealed and sensitive records, and updated user access settings in preparation for Production Simulation.

Support

Participation includes a one-hour kickoff and a wrap-up session. Orientation sessions and semi-weekly office hours will be available to support questions and issue review. Time spent on validation is flexible and based on each organization’s level of review.

Action Required:

Please complete the brief survey by March 2, 2026, so we can set up user access:

CWS-CARES Data Conversion Mock Cycles 1 and 2 Survey

Only one survey response per organization is needed, so please coordinate internally before submitting.

If you have questions, please contact CWDS Data Conversion.

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

Following the CWS-CARES Production Simulation – Please Identify Initial Users communication sent last Monday, April 20, 2026, the new County User Permissions spreadsheets are now available in the CWS-CARES User Onboarding Preparation Microsoft Teams channel.  

These lists contain all active and inactive CWS/CMS users for both Child Welfare and Probation to facilitate conversion for Production Simulation roles and permissions. Please note that these updates apply only to Production Simulation; a future activity will be conducted to confirm all roles and permissions for the final CWS-CARES Production environment prior to Go-Live. 

Access to the CWS-CARES User Onboarding Preparation Microsoft Teams channel is currently limited to CWS-CARES SPOCs and those that requested access last week. If you need access, please contact the Identity Access Management (IAM) Team at otsicwdscaresorgiamteam@otsi.ca.gov .  

Here are the basic steps to validate legacy CWS/CMS permissions to the new CWS-CARES. 

1. Validate Primary Office & Mapping: Review the matrix to ensure the assigned Primary Office is correct. Verify that the Permission Sets mapped from CWS/CMS to CWS-CARES accurately reflect the user's needs. 

2. Assign Net-New Permissions: Review the list of permissions unique to CWS-CARES (those with no legacy equivalent). Determine which staff members require these new permission sets and update the roster accordingly. 

To accurately review the spreadsheets, please keep these system logic changes in mind: 

1. Permissions Snapshot: All information reflects CWS/CMS production data as of March 11, 2026. 

2. Permission Hierarchy 

• Consolidated Permissions: Unlike CWS/CMS, CWS-CARES does not require multiple overlapping permissions. Higher-level access (e.g., County Read/Write) automatically overrides lower levels (Office or Unit). If a user has County, Office, and Unit access, CWS-CARES will only assign the highest level (County). 

• Discontinued Roles: "Unit Read" and "Unit Read/Write" roles no longer exist in in CWS-CARES. 

3. Role Determination 

• Supervisor vs. Worker: If a user has an "S" (Supervisor) designation in any Staff Person Unit Authority record, they are automatically mapped to Supervisor permissions in CWS-CARES. Otherwise, they default to Worker. 

• Functional Mapping: The CWS/CMS Case Management role to CWS-CARES Hotline, ER, and Case Management modules. 

4. Active User Definition: A "null" end date in the Staff Person screen does not guarantee an active account. A user is only considered Active if they have a valid Log On ID and a record in the USER_ID table. Users end-dated during recent cleanup exercises (90+ days of inactivity) will be migrated to CWS-CARES as Inactive. (see below) 

• In CWS/CMS, an active user has a blank End Date field (see below) 

Report Column References 

Use this guide to navigate the "County_User Permissions" spreadsheet: 

 Next Steps for Counties and Organizations 

1. Access your specific county user roster from the Teams channel. 

2. Review and confirm the accuracy of all mapped roles. 

3. Make any necessary changes or corrections to existing mappings.  

4. Add new users and their new CWS-CARES-specific permissions to the spreadsheet. 

• Edit Options: You may make changes directly to the spreadsheet within Teams, or download a copy, rename it, and upload the updated version. 

5. By May 1, 2026 (COB): Please submit your finalized list and any net-new permission requests.  

• Note: If no changes are made by this date, we will automatically add your entire existing county list. By May 4, 2026, we will complete the user provisioning for the V1 Readiness environment, and these users will receive the elevated access levels used during EUST3. 

6. May 8, 2026 (COB): Final deadline for updates. We will pull this final version to onboard users to production simulation over the May 22nd weekend for the May 26, 2026, launch, which will include real data, offices, units, caseloads, and permissions. 

Action Required

Please complete the tasks above by the deadlines noted. Please contact the team at OTSICWDSDataConversion@otsi.ca.gov for any questions.