Update

All SPOCs, Technical Contacts, and CAD Contacts:

The CWDS Project received reports this morning of users receiving error messages when attempting to retrieve Business Objects reports. The CWDS Infrastructure team and IBM researched this issue and they determined that this issue began on December 28, 2025.

The reports issue is now resolved. Business Objects users should be able to access their reports without any issues.

Action Required

Review and validate your Business Objects reports.

If users experience any issues with CWS/CMS or with Business Objects, please follow your county process for reporting issues or you may contact the IBM Boulder Help Desk at 1-800-428-8268.

All Dedicated County SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

December 22, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team thanks everyone for their continued collaboration with the Zscaler implementation project. Below is the recount from the latest Zscaler User Group meeting on Friday, December 19, 2025:

Zscaler Release Date

The CWDS Infrastructure team plans to release Zscaler on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 12:00 Noon Pacific Time.

Q&A Highlight

Q: If new remote user credentials are needed, should counties delay requesting Cisco AnyConnect credentials and wait for Zscaler?

A: No. Please continue with your county’s standard process to request Cisco AnyConnect credentials. In addition, request Zscaler credentials for any users who do not already have them.

Next Steps & Holiday Message

The session on Friday, December 19, 2025, was the final Zscaler User Group meeting for 2025. The CWDS Infrastructure team looks forward to connecting again early in January as the Zscaler release date approaches. In the meantime, the team wishes you, your families, and your loved ones a safe and joyful holiday season.

_________________________________________________________________

December 15, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team expresses their appreciation for those who have joined the weekly Zscaler User Group meetings in November and December and for your continued engagement. Your participation helps keep our efforts on track to quickly identify and address any issues that arise.

Here are the newest questions and answers that arose from the most recent status meeting:

Q: When will the recordings of the previous Zscaler User Group meetings be saved to the CWDS website?

A: The CWDS Web team is working on receiving the necessary approvals. We will provide an update once the CWDS Infrastructure team receives word from the Web team.

Q: When will Zscaler be ready for customers to use?

A: Zscaler testing is nearly completed. An exact implementation date to use Zscaler should be provided by the next Zscaler User Group meeting on Friday, December 19, 2025.

Zscaler Client Connector Deployment Status

CWS Ops is nearing completion of the Zscaler Client Connector deployment across all workstations. Only a small number of workstations remain without the installation. For those machines, we kindly ask that you leave them powered on for an extended period to allow the deployment to complete. If you are a remote user and utilize Cisco AnyConnect, please ensure you are logged in so we can complete the installation successfully.

CWDS appreciates your cooperation and support for this project.

____________________________________________________________________

November 24, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team appreciates your continued participation and support during this Zscaler migration project. Following our last status meeting on Friday, November 21, 2025, the team is pleased to share that they have made steady progress and are now moving forward with this project, as expected. Your ongoing engagement and valuable contributions play an essential role in helping to maintain momentum to achieve these shared goals. We remain grateful for your commitment and look forward to the continued collaboration.

Here are the newest questions and answers that arose from the most recent status meeting:

Q: When will additional Okta authentication login options be available?

A: As of Friday, November 21, 2025, users should have the ability to not have to rely on the ‘Okta Verify’ option from a mobile device. Users now have the ability to obtain the multi-factor authentication (MFA) one-time-use code through their email.

Q: Does this effort involving Zscaler and Okta affect the Server Based Computing (SBC) users login?

A: SBC users will continue to login as they normally do; this Zscaler/Okta effort has no impact on SBC.

Q: When can users expect to receive the email to create the Zscaler/Okta account?

A: Users should have already received an Okta account email from the CWDS Infrastructure team. If users have not yet received the email, please inform the CWDS Infrastructure team at cwsoperationsteam@otsi.ca.gov with the list of users who need to receive the account creation email. Please include the first name, last name, and the email address for each user on the list.

Q: When will the Zscaler client be installed on the CWS workstations?

A: Starting at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, the CWDS Infrastructure team and IBM/Kyndryl will start deploying the Zscaler Client Connector to the CWS workstation, using the BigFix installer. The installation process will use a rolling deployment, so as not to cause too large of impact to the network at one time.

If possible, please leave the CWS workstations powered on over the Thanksgiving holiday. Note: please also be connected to the Virtual Private Network (VPN) if the workstation uses VPN. This process will occur silently in the background.

Once completed, the user will notice the Zscaler application loaded on the workstation. This is an automatic loading process; however, no further action is needed as of this time. The user can close the Zscaler application to continue to do their daily work. Further instruction will be provided when Zscaler is expected to be in use. For now, this current activity is only to load the Zscaler application onto the workstation.

Please direct any questions regarding this process to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov.

_______________________________________________________________________

November 10, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team will be sending out emails to the Dedicated Counties to create their Zscaler accounts. The attached New User Guide Okta & Zscaler document will assist counties with solving any questions that Counties may have during the transition to Zscaler and Okta. The Infrastructure team will continue to leverage the Friday ‘CWS Ops Zscaler User Group’ meetings to communicate the next steps in this project and to answer any questions that the Counties may have.

Here are a couple questions and answers that arose from last week’s meeting:

Q: Will users that rely on Citrix to login into the CWS/CMS application be impacted when this Virtual Private Network (VPN) change occurs?

A: No impact will be reflected if a user is using Citrix to access the CWS/CMS application.

Q: Since Zscaler depends on the use of Okta, is it possible to receive directions outlining Okta verification process?

A: The attached New User Guide Okta & Zscaler document provides instructions on installing the “Okta verify application” function on iOS and Android mobile devices. The CWDS Infrastructure team is researching the possibility of installing the Okta application on the CWS/CMS workstations, but are currently requesting Dedicated Counties to allow the installation on mobile devices.

Action Required

The only action currently required of the Dedicated County is to create their Zscaler accounts when the email invite is delivered to their Outlook mailbox.

Please continue to attend the Zscaler meetings on Fridays in November and December to learn about the transition from AnyConnect VPN to Zscaler and to share any questions or concerns that you have regarding this project.

___________________________________________________________________

The CWDS Infrastructure team, along with IBM/Kyndryl, currently use AnyConnect Virtual Private Network (VPN) for Dedicated County remote access to the CWS/CMS application. In an effort to achieve higher security standards and to move away from obsolete technologies, CWDS is switching to the Zscaler tool for remote access. Additionally, Zscaler will replace the McAfee proxy that is used to whitelist specific websites for the Dedicated Counties. In collaboration with Zscaler, CWDS will also use the Okta identity management tool.

Zscaler is a cloud native security platform that allows users to connect to applications and surf the internet securely. Okta is an identify management platform that allows user to securely authenticate to services.

The CWDS Infrastructure team will create accounts for all Dedicated County users. On November 19, 2025, IBM/Kyndryl will use the BigFix tool to deploy Zscaler on the Dedicated County workstations. Users will receive emails from Zscaler and Okta as the accounts are created and are rolled out to the workstations.

In December 2025, CWDS will transition from Cisco AnyConnect VPN and McAfee Proxy to Zscaler and Okta. In January 2026, the transition will be completed. Cisco AnyConnect VPN and McAfee Proxy will no longer be used; Dedicated Counties will be fully using only Zscaler and Okta.

To help users with the transition to Zscaler and Okta, the CWDS Infrastructure team will hold weekly meetings every Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM, beginning on November 7, 2025, and running through to the end of the calendar year. The CWDS Infrastructure team will use these meetings to cover the Zscaler project, why it is occurring, the timeline and activities, and to answer questions and concerns regarding the project.

Action Required

Please attend the Zscaler transition meetings, Fridays in November and December, to learn about the transition from AnyConnect VPN to Zscaler and to share any questions or concerns that you have regarding this project.

December 15, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team expresses their appreciation for those who have joined the weekly Zscaler User Group meetings in November and December and for your continued engagement. Your participation helps keep our efforts on track to quickly identify and address any issues that arise.

Here are the newest questions and answers that arose from the most recent status meeting:

Q: When will the recordings of the previous Zscaler User Group meetings be saved to the CWDS website?
A: The CWDS Web team is working on receiving the necessary approvals. We will provide an update once the CWDS Infrastructure team receives word from the Web team.

Q: When will Zscaler be ready for customers to use?
A: Zscaler testing is nearly completed. An exact implementation date to use Zscaler should be provided by the next Zscaler User Group meeting on Friday, December 19, 2025.

Zscaler Client Connector Deployment Status
CWS Ops is nearing completion of the Zscaler Client Connector deployment across all workstations. Only a small number of workstations remain without the installation. For those machines, we kindly ask that you leave them powered on for an extended period to allow the deployment to complete. If you are a remote user and utilize Cisco AnyConnect, please ensure you are logged in so we can complete the installation successfully.

CWDS appreciates your cooperation and support for this project.

____________________________________________________________________

November 24, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team appreciates your continued participation and support during this Zscaler migration project. Following our last status meeting on Friday, November 21, 2025, the team is pleased to share that they have made steady progress and are now moving forward with this project, as expected. Your ongoing engagement and valuable contributions play an essential role in helping to maintain momentum to achieve these shared goals. We remain grateful for your commitment and look forward to the continued collaboration.

Here are the newest questions and answers that arose from the most recent status meeting:

Q: When will additional Okta authentication login options be available?
A: As of Friday, November 21, 2025, users should have the ability to not have to rely on the ‘Okta Verify’ option from a mobile device. Users now have the ability to obtain the multi-factor authentication (MFA) one-time-use code through their email.

Q: Does this effort involving Zscaler and Okta affect the Server Based Computing (SBC) users login?
A: SBC users will continue to login as they normally do; this Zscaler/Okta effort has no impact on SBC.

Q: When can users expect to receive the email to create the Zscaler/Okta account?
A: Users should have already received an Okta account email from the CWDS Infrastructure team. If users have not yet received the email, please inform the CWDS Infrastructure team at cwsoperationsteam@otsi.ca.gov with the list of users who need to receive the account creation email. Please include the first name, last name, and the email address for each user on the list.

Q: When will the Zscaler client be installed on the CWS workstations?
A: Starting at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, the CWDS Infrastructure team and IBM/Kyndryl will start deploying the Zscaler Client Connector to the CWS workstation, using the BigFix installer. The installation process will use a rolling deployment, so as not to cause too large of impact to the network at one time.

If possible, please leave the CWS workstations powered on over the Thanksgiving holiday. Note: please also be connected to the Virtual Private Network (VPN) if the workstation uses VPN. This process will occur silently in the background.

Once completed, the user will notice the Zscaler application loaded on the workstation. This is an automatic loading process; however, no further action is needed as of this time. The user can close the Zscaler application to continue to do their daily work. Further instruction will be provided when Zscaler is expected to be in use. For now, this current activity is only to load the Zscaler application onto the workstation.

Please direct any questions regarding this process to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov.

_______________________________________________________________________

November 10, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team will be sending out emails to the Dedicated Counties to create their Zscaler accounts. The attached New User Guide Okta & Zscaler document will assist counties with solving any questions that Counties may have during the transition to Zscaler and Okta. The Infrastructure team will continue to leverage the Friday ‘CWS Ops Zscaler User Group’ meetings to communicate the next steps in this project and to answer any questions that the Counties may have.

Here are a couple questions and answers that arose from last week’s meeting:

Q: Will users that rely on Citrix to login into the CWS/CMS application be impacted when this Virtual Private Network (VPN) change occurs?
A: No impact will be reflected if a user is using Citrix to access the CWS/CMS application.

Q: Since Zscaler depends on the use of Okta, is it possible to receive directions outlining Okta verification process?
A: The attached New User Guide Okta & Zscaler document provides instructions on installing the “Okta verify application” function on iOS and Android mobile devices. The CWDS Infrastructure team is researching the possibility of installing the Okta application on the CWS/CMS workstations, but are currently requesting Dedicated Counties to allow the installation on mobile devices.

Action Required

The only action currently required of the Dedicated County is to create their Zscaler accounts when the email invite is delivered to their Outlook mailbox.

Please continue to attend the Zscaler meetings on Fridays in November and December to learn about the transition from AnyConnect VPN to Zscaler and to share any questions or concerns that you have regarding this project.

___________________________________________________________________

The CWDS Infrastructure team, along with IBM/Kyndryl, currently use AnyConnect Virtual Private Network (VPN) for Dedicated County remote access to the CWS/CMS application. In an effort to achieve higher security standards and to move away from obsolete technologies, CWDS is switching to the Zscaler tool for remote access. Additionally, Zscaler will replace the McAfee proxy that is used to whitelist specific websites for the Dedicated Counties. In collaboration with Zscaler, CWDS will also use the Okta identity management tool.

Zscaler is a cloud native security platform that allows users to connect to applications and surf the internet securely. Okta is an identify management platform that allows user to securely authenticate to services.

The CWDS Infrastructure team will create accounts for all Dedicated County users. On November 19, 2025, IBM/Kyndryl will use the BigFix tool to deploy Zscaler on the Dedicated County workstations. Users will receive emails from Zscaler and Okta as the accounts are created and are rolled out to the workstations.

In December 2025, CWDS will transition from Cisco AnyConnect VPN and McAfee Proxy to Zscaler and Okta. In January 2026, the transition will be completed. Cisco AnyConnect VPN and McAfee Proxy will no longer be used; Dedicated Counties will be fully using only Zscaler and Okta.

To help users with the transition to Zscaler and Okta, the CWDS Infrastructure team will hold weekly meetings every Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM, beginning on November 7, 2025, and running through to the end of the calendar year. The CWDS Infrastructure team will use these meetings to cover the Zscaler project, why it is occurring, the timeline and activities, and to answer questions and concerns regarding the project.

Action Required

Please attend the Zscaler transition meetings, Fridays in November and December, to learn about the transition from AnyConnect VPN to Zscaler and to share any questions or concerns that you have regarding this project.

All Dedicated County SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

December 12, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team successfully deployed the second of two network changes last night. Validation testing confirmed that the degraded initial login to the CWS/CMS application has been resolved. Users should not experience longer than usual connection time when connecting to the CWS/CMS application.

Please contact the IBM Help Desk (800-428-8268) to report any issues with CWS/CMS.

___________________________________________________________________________

The CWDS Infrastructure team deployed the first of two network changes last night. This change is causing a delay for users in some Dedicated Counties when they initially login to the CWS/CMS application. The extended login process takes impacted users an average of three to 25 seconds longer than a standard initial connection to CWS/CMS. The delayed connection occurs only during the initial connection; there is no observed delay with CWS/CMS following the login.

The CWDS Infrastructure is deploying the second part of the network change tonight. The initial login delay is expected to be removed following this second change.

Action Required

No action is needed for this activity.

If users experience any issues with CWS/CMS, please follow your county process for reporting issues or you may contact the IBM Boulder Help Desk at 1-800-428-8268.

All CARES-Live and CARES-RFA County Administrators:

REMINDER: The CWDS CSM Portal hosted by ServiceNow will be migrating to a secure FedRAMP-compliant data center. As a result of this migration, the CWDS CSM Portal URL will change. This migration will specifically affect the CARES-Live and CARES-RFA administrators who currently use the portal. After the migration, administrators should continue to submit tickets for CARES-Live and CARES-RFA at the new URL.

What FedRAMP compliance means:

FedRAMP is a U.S. government security standard that ensures cloud services meet strict controls for protecting data, access, logging, encryption, and incident response.

Why this matters:

This migration enhances the portal’s security and reliability, reduces the risk of unauthorized access or data loss, and aligns the service with federal standards for handling sensitive information.

Migration Details:

• Date: December 10, 2025
• Time: 12/10/25 6:00PM to 12/11/25 8:00AM
• Downtime: The CWDS CSM Portal will not be accessible during the migration window.

After the migration, the current URL, https://cwds.service-now.com/csm, will redirect users to the new portal location until January 10, 2026. Please note that the current CWDS CSM Portal URL will be completely decommissioned on January 11, 2026.

New URL:  https://cwds.servicenowservices.com/csm

Action Required

Please update all URL bookmarks or references to the new link after the migration date above.

If users experience any issues with the CWDS CSM Portal URL after the migration window, please contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal (if able to log in). 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.

All Dedicated County SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

November 24, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team appreciates your continued participation and support during this Zscaler migration project. Following our last status meeting on Friday, November 21, 2025, the team is pleased to share that they have made steady progress and are now moving forward with this project, as expected. Your ongoing engagement and valuable contributions play an essential role in helping to maintain momentum to achieve these shared goals. We remain grateful for your commitment and look forward to the continued collaboration.

Here are the newest questions and answers that arose from the most recent status meeting:

Q: When will additional Okta authentication login options be available?
A: As of Friday, November 21, 2025, users should have the ability to not have to rely on the ‘Okta Verify’ option from a mobile device. Users now have the ability to obtain the multi-factor authentication (MFA) one-time-use code through their email.

Q: Does this effort involving Zscaler and Okta affect the Server Based Computing (SBC) users login?
A: SBC users will continue to login as they normally do; this Zscaler/Okta effort has no impact on SBC.

Q: When can users expect to receive the email to create the Zscaler/Okta account?
A: Users should have already received an Okta account email from the CWDS Infrastructure team. If users have not yet received the email, please inform the CWDS Infrastructure team at cwsoperationsteam@otsi.ca.gov with the list of users who need to receive the account creation email. Please include the first name, last name, and the email address for each user on the list.

Q: When will the Zscaler client be installed on the CWS workstations?
A: Starting at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, the CWDS Infrastructure team and IBM/Kyndryl will start deploying the Zscaler Client Connector to the CWS workstation, using the BigFix installer. The installation process will use a rolling deployment, so as not to cause too large of impact to the network at one time.

If possible, please leave the CWS workstations powered on over the Thanksgiving holiday. Note: please also be connected to the Virtual Private Network (VPN) if the workstation uses VPN. This process will occur silently in the background.

Once completed, the user will notice the Zscaler application loaded on the workstation. This is an automatic loading process; however, no further action is needed as of this time. The user can close the Zscaler application to continue to do their daily work. Further instruction will be provided when Zscaler is expected to be in use. For now, this current activity is only to load the Zscaler application onto the workstation.

Please direct any questions regarding this process to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov.

_______________________________________________________________________

November 10, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team will be sending out emails to the Dedicated Counties to create their Zscaler accounts. The attached New User Guide Okta & Zscaler document will assist counties with solving any questions that Counties may have during the transition to Zscaler and Okta. The Infrastructure team will continue to leverage the Friday ‘CWS Ops Zscaler User Group’ meetings to communicate the next steps in this project and to answer any questions that the Counties may have.

Here are a couple questions and answers that arose from last week’s meeting:

Q: Will users that rely on Citrix to login into the CWS/CMS application be impacted when this Virtual Private Network (VPN) change occurs?

A: No impact will be reflected if a user is using Citrix to access the CWS/CMS application.

Q: Since Zscaler depends on the use of Okta, is it possible to receive directions outlining Okta verification process?

A: The attached New User Guide Okta & Zscaler document provides instructions on installing the “Okta verify application” function on iOS and Android mobile devices. The CWDS Infrastructure team is researching the possibility of installing the Okta application on the CWS/CMS workstations, but are currently requesting Dedicated Counties to allow the installation on mobile devices.

Action Required

The only action currently required of the Dedicated County is to create their Zscaler accounts when the email invite is delivered to their Outlook mailbox.

Please continue to attend the Zscaler meetings on Fridays in November and December to learn about the transition from AnyConnect VPN to Zscaler and to share any questions or concerns that you have regarding this project.

___________________________________________________________________

The CWDS Infrastructure team, along with IBM/Kyndryl, currently use AnyConnect Virtual Private Network (VPN) for Dedicated County remote access to the CWS/CMS application. In an effort to achieve higher security standards and to move away from obsolete technologies, CWDS is switching to the Zscaler tool for remote access. Additionally, Zscaler will replace the McAfee proxy that is used to whitelist specific websites for the Dedicated Counties. In collaboration with Zscaler, CWDS will also use the Okta identity management tool.

Zscaler is a cloud native security platform that allows users to connect to applications and surf the internet securely. Okta is an identify management platform that allows user to securely authenticate to services.

The CWDS Infrastructure team will create accounts for all Dedicated County users. On November 19, 2025, IBM/Kyndryl will use the BigFix tool to deploy Zscaler on the Dedicated County workstations. Users will receive emails from Zscaler and Okta as the accounts are created and are rolled out to the workstations.

In December 2025, CWDS will transition from Cisco AnyConnect VPN and McAfee Proxy to Zscaler and Okta. In January 2026, the transition will be completed. Cisco AnyConnect VPN and McAfee Proxy will no longer be used; Dedicated Counties will be fully using only Zscaler and Okta.

To help users with the transition to Zscaler and Okta, the CWDS Infrastructure team will hold weekly meetings every Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM, beginning on November 7, 2025, and running through to the end of the calendar year. The CWDS Infrastructure team will use these meetings to cover the Zscaler project, why it is occurring, the timeline and activities, and to answer questions and concerns regarding the project.

Action Required

Please attend the Zscaler transition meetings, Fridays in November and December, to learn about the transition from AnyConnect VPN to Zscaler and to share any questions or concerns that you have regarding this project.

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. 

_______

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. 

_______

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. 

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

October 30, 2025 UPDATE: The California Department of Technology (CDT) deployed their fix yesterday. Along with the patch applied yesterday by the CWDS Office, the www.ca.gov website latency issue has been resolved. Users should not experience any issue or delays when accessing the CWDS website (https://cwds.ca.gov).

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The California Department of Technology (CDT) is experiencing an issue with their shared statewide template. This issue is causing a latency issue with the www.ca.gov websites, including the CWDS website, https://cwds.ca.gov. When attempting to access the website, users will experience delays, or find the site unreachable, as the page’s contents are loading.

The CDT will deploy a fix to improve the latency later today. The CWDS Office has already applied a patch to mitigate the issue. Loading delays should be reduced.

We will provide additional updates as we receive them.

Action Required

If users experience any issues with the CWDS website, please follow your county process for reporting issues or you may contact the IBM Boulder Help Desk at 1-800-428-8268.

This communication is a follow-up to the October 17, 2025, correspondence on the status of the CWS-CARES Project's Advance Planning Document Update (APDU), specific implementation activities, and the resulting impacts of the ongoing federal shutdown. 

The federal shutdown has impacted the submission and subsequent approval of the CWS-CARES APDU by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The absence of approved federal funding necessitates a suspension of specific implementation activities. Formally approved funding is a prerequisite for executing any CWS-CARES service contracts or contract amendments. To ensure fiscal prudence and preserve existing funding, most implementation activities will be temporarily paused effective November 3, 2025. All other implementation activities not explicitly listed below are paused pending further guidance. 

The following key implementation activities will proceed as scheduled or with necessary adjustments: 

1. Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) 3 Training Development and Delivery: This workstream will continue as planned. The Training Advisory Workgroup meetings will focus exclusively on EUST 3.
    
2. Process Information Sessions: These sessions will continue as planned for all of the remaining topics: Courts, Probation, Resource Family Approval (RFA), Resource Management (RM), Financial Management (FM), and Administrative Services. The OCM Advisory Workgroup meetings will focus exclusively on Process Information Session preparation. 
    
3. Organization Readiness: This activity continues with modifications. We will monitor and report Organization Readiness status to relevant leadership and organizations. However, existing monthly county Implementation Readiness Meetings will be canceled and replaced by a new series of regionally aligned group meetings, in some cases led by different facilitators and using a revised format. These meetings will be used to collect and report on Organization Readiness status to leadership and partner organizations.  

Updates on Sandbox, Process Simulation, and Pilot activities will be shared in a subsequent communication. 

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. Your organizations should continue all work, including associated readiness activities. 

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

We appreciate your understanding and continued partnership as we navigate these required adjustments. We will provide continuous updates as decisions are formalized. 

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! 

_______

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.

_______

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.  

_______

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.