Q: What is the role of external systems in the move from Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS) to Child Welfare Services-California Automated Response and Engagement System? (CWS-CARES)?

A: External systems (a tool or technology used to deliver child welfare services in addition to, or outside of, the legacy CWS/CMS solution) will be addressed in the following ways during the move to CWS-CARES: 
  • Select prioritized external systems will have data converted into CWS-CARES.
  • Focus on external systems related to Resource Family Approval (RFA), Placement including Family Finding, and Prevention Services. 
  • Continuing Operations of external systems.
  • Counties and the CWS-CARES Project will work together on a strategy for continuing operations. 
  • Includes Counties identifying data dependencies between existing systems, planning/updating systems to ensure business continuity after CWS-CARES go live and updating to-be process maps. 
  • Decommission of external systems.
  • Counties will determine which of their external systems are in scope for decommission based on how they will interact with CWS-CARES (example: functionality to CWS-CARES). 
Counties will work with the CWS-CARES Project to develop a decommission plan (agreements, requirements, contract management, timeline).