Frequently Asked Questions
CWDS Support
Q: After Go-Live, when CWS/CMS goes into read-only mode, how do counties terminate account access for staff who are no longer with the division? County Admins will not have the ability to terminate access like before. Additionally, will the State be automatically terminating CWS/CMS access when a CWS-CARES Account is terminated? Will County Admins need to submit a ticket to the State for termination?
A: Counties will need to submit CWS/CMS Help Desk tickets to IBM to request termination of account access. County Admins will not have the ability to terminate that access like before but will be given access to weekly deactivation reports in CWS-CARES to help support this process. Please note that CWS/CMS account access will not automatically be terminated when an CWS-CARES account is terminated, so please ensure to submit a CWS/CMS ticket to IBM for CWS/CMS account access termination.
Q: When do counties need to start submitting tickets to ServiceNow? And how long will office hours be used for questions/issue logging?
A: Counties can begin submitting ServiceNow tickets as soon as they are comfortable doing so. At this time, office hours end dates have not been finalized.
Q: When testing Foster Care Eligibility and Determination (FCED), will the CWS-CARES Service Desk be able to answer questions about CalSAWS?
A: The CWS-CARES Service Desk will be able to assist with some questions regarding CalSAWS, but any issues or defects related to CalSAWS will need to be forwarded to the CalSAWS team. The Project will coordinate with interface partners to streamline that process.
Q: In CWS-CARES, if contacts still aren’t appearing, and it’s been indicated as already having “a fix”, how is that being resolved?
A: If a solution was identified and you're still finding an issue with that functionality, please inform the Project of that issue by submitting a ServiceNow ticket so that you can be helped and the issue can be addressed.
Q: Who will provide support for the CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) and Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) Portal once CWS-CARES goes live, including password resets? How does someone get access to the portals?
A: The CWDS Service Desk will provide system support for the RFA and FFPSA portals. Each portal includes a self-serve password reset option, which resolves most issues such as forgotten passwords. If a user does not receive the password reset email within 24 hours, they should contact the CWDS Service Desk for additional assistance.
Counties are responsible for basic applicant support, such as helping applicants understand how to complete an application or answering general questions.
Portal access varies by portal:
RFA Portal
- Applicants can access the RFA portal through the public link on CWDS or county websites to submit an application
- CWS-CARES RFA Worker or Supervisor may invite an applicant directly only in Emergency Placement situations
- Existing Resource Family Homes (RFH) with an email on file will receive an invitation to the portal
- These actions occur within the CWS-CARES application, and training materials will be provided on how to accomplish this task
- To access an RFA Portal end-to-end demonstration, click the “RFA_Applicant_Portal_-_03-26-2025-_Core_Constituent_Demonstration_for_RFA.mp4” video on the CWS-CARES RFA Demo Videos page.
- Access is by invitation only to Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
- A CWS-CARES worker invites prospective or existing Service Providers by adding or updating the provider record, including email, in CWS‑CARES
- The provider then receives an email to establish a password and update any applicable information.
- CWS-CARES will provide CARES workers with training materials on how to accomplish this task
- To access a FFPSA demonstration, click the “02_23_2026_FM_FFPSA_Portal_CC_Demo_Recording.mp4” video on the CWS-CARES Financial Management Demo Videos page.
Q: Is there an Admin training module in Train-the-Trainer (TTT)?
A: The Train-the-Trainer (TTT) curriculum mirrors the Instructor-Led Training (ILT) curriculum, which includes an Administrator (Help Desk) course.
Q: Is there help desk or service desk specific training?
A: Yes. Service desk/help desk personnel have role-specific On-Demand courses. The recommended audience in the Instructional Design Maps indicates the ILT courses the CWS-CARES Team feels would support this group of people the best. However, you may choose to assign ILT courses that do not indicate service/help desk personnel as the target audience if you feel the content covered aligns with the tasks performed by the individual.
Q: Will the project hold post Go-Live check points with county help desks during the first few weeks post Go-Live?
A: The Project will provide the option of both over-the-shoulder and virtual support to organizations post Go-Live. Implementation Leads will be coordinating with the organizations directly to understand what works best for them.
Q: How will County Help Desk staff be expected to take over support without completing the required training, and will the support transition timeline vary by county based on training schedules? The current plan suggests that County Help Desk support begins in July, yet the CWS‑CARES trainings required for Help Desk staff in Riverside do not begin until August–September.
A: The Project is working on confirming timelines and a plan to support those counties. Once those are available, they will be released through a formal communication.
Q: Will instructions be provided on how to open tickets in the new Help Desk service?
A: Yes, we are setting up a Service Desk County Advisory Committee (CAC) to work through the ticketing process and service level expectations. This CAC will include county/project representatives and the focus is operational county and state coordination, incidents and escalations, defect prioritization, business continuity, and knowledge base.