Frequently Asked Questions
County Advisory Committee (CAC)
Q: Will the release date of CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1) be adjusted?
A: At an ad hoc CWS-CARES Board of Directors meeting on September 3, 2026, the following decisions were voted and approved:
Go-Live Date: The system launch is moved to Monday, December 7, 2026. This later date gives counties more time to complete data validation and continue with readiness activities before the system goes live.
Post–Go-Live Release Strategy: After the December launch, the system will receive two scheduled releases, one in March 2027 and another in May 2027. This approach gives additional time after Go-Live to stabilize the system and thoroughly validate functionality before enhancements are introduced. All planned enhanced stories are expected to be completed by May 1, 2027.
Cutover Plan: For the transition from current systems to CWS-CARES, CWS/CMS will switch into read-only on Thursday, December 3, 2026 at 5 PM.
For full details, see the Important Update: CWS-CARES Go-Live Date Adjusted to December 7, 2026 communication on the CWDS website.
Q: What is the final disposition of the Essential Stories?
A: There were 313 total stories considered and discussed to determine essentiality for Go-Live launch.
- 83 enhancement stories delivered in Version 1.1 by March 1, 2027;
- 115 enhancement stories delivered in Version 1.2 by May 1, 2027.
Q: What updates can you share regarding improvements to access and permissions in CARES?
A: The Project reports that Roles Based Access will be ready for testing during Production Simulation, the CWS-CARES Administration team is supporting user setup, and staff lists have been updated to include only active users.
Q: What updates can you provide regarding improvements to Case Plan functionality, given the current limitations caused by requiring the CANS to be completed first?
A: The Project suspended the rule requiring a Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment prior to a Case Plan completion, enabling users to either pre‑populate needs from an approved CANS or manually enter needs when a CANS is not yet completed.
Q: Given the ongoing problems with payment delays, incorrect validation logic, and data mismatches, what progress has been made on improving FCED?
A: To resolve current Foster Care Eligibility Determination (FCED) issues, development and testing should be completed ahead of Code Freeze, with clear identification of mandatory data fields, automated resubmission and error reporting for interface failures, and full end‑to‑end payment‑processing testing. Additional steps include producing daily reconciliation reports and establishing a process that allows payments for voluntary foster care placements when a petition is not yet sustained.
Q: What progress has been made to ensure safety alerts are displayed consistently across key pages in the system?
A: Display safety alerts throughout all aspects of the screenings, referrals, and cases in CWS-CARES and are viewable in Production Simulation as of September 14, 2026.
Q: What factors will counties be told must be met during the go/no‑go decision process?
A: ELT received a walkthrough on August 24, 2026. The 60-day checklist can be obtained from CWDA.
Q: When is the code freeze scheduled?
A: Code freeze will occur August 24. In alignment with the September 3 Board of Directors decision to adjust the go-live date, the Defect freeze is now November 7.
Q: When is the April 2027 V1.3 release planned?
A: What was previously planned for April 2027 Version 1.3 (V1.3) release was adjusted to move forward with only two releases, rather than three. This allows additional time for post-launch stabilization and system validation. This schedule completes enhancement story delivery by May 1, 2027.
Q: When is the February 2027 V1.2 release planned?
A: What was previously planned for February 2027 Version 1.2 (V1.2) release is now scheduled for May 1, 2027.