Frequently Asked Questions
Data
Q: Will the Resource Family Approval (RFA) Portal be in the CWS-CARES site, or is this a separate site with a separate log in?
A: For the resource family, the Resource Family Approval (RFA) Portal will be a separate site with a separate log-in from CWS-CARES. However, the data from the RFA Portal will be available within CWS-CARES for the worker.
Q: Will this information be transmitted between the systems in real time or in a batch?
A: The Foster Care for Eligibility Determination (FCED) interface will process transactions in near real time if the user clicks “Submit Data to CalSAWS”. However, if the CWS-CARES user does not do that, then the changes will captured and transmitted in the overnight batch. Additionally, response times may vary depending on system availability and processing.
Q: Is there a data validation process for CARES-Live Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment (CANS)?
A: Converted CARES-Live data will be available for validation in Production Simulation environment after Phase 2 begins in July 2026.
Q: May we please have a reminder outlining the expected items to continue testing in Mock cycles in Production Simulation?
A: Users are free to validate data at their own discretion, as there are no formal test cases to execute. For example, users may compare a record in CWS-CMS with the corresponding record in CWS-CARES Production Simulation to validate that the data matches. Based on county requests, resources will be available on the Production Simulation Hub, including EUST scenarios, navigation guides, walkthrough meeting recordings, and source-to-target mappings that detail source and target fields, as well as data transformations. In addition, Enablement Programs will become available to help guide users through the system.
Q: How long does created data last within the CARES104 Training Environment?
A: There are currently no plans to remove created data in the training environment.
Q: Why are not all staff able to access the on-demand trainings that are self-paced?
A: Giving all users access to the training environment is difficult when we are pre-seeding data. We want a limited number of users in the training environment to help protect the seeded data, and to ensure that the data is working as expected with the production-level data.
Q: Will there be training on how to execute conversion validation and log issues?
A: There is no formal training on how users are expected to validate converted records in Production Simulation. However, users will be trained how to submit and log issues.
Q: If counties want to keep Binti in read-only mode beyond April 2027 for data clean-up efforts, will that be allowed?
A: Yes, continued use of Binti in a read-only capacity beyond the CWS-CARES V1 Go-Live date will be at the county’s own expense.
Q: Regarding the Decommissioning Activities Timeline, can decommissioning activities for external systems begin before February 2027?
A: Yes, decommissioning activities can begin prior to February 2027. Organizations (California Department of Social Services, Counties, Tribes with California Title IV-E Agreement(s)) are encouraged to begin validating fully In-Scope functionality in the Production Simulation environment. Early validation can provide opportunity to minimize duplicate data entry, revise and finalize business processes in preparation for Go-Live, and/or move forward with plans to set fully In-Scope system(s) to read-only or decommission.
Q: Not all data is shared bi-directionally via Foster Care Eligibility Determination (FCED) from CalSAWS to CWS-CARES. How will workers know what can be transmitted via FCED versus what needs to be manually shared via e-mail or other processes?
A: The Project is working on developing a document and business process guidance that identifies what information and data elements is exchanged between CWS-CARES and CalSAWS. Any information not supported by the interface must continue to be shared through existing county processes. Additionally, the July 2026 FCED Newsletter can be referenced to see which APIs have a unidirectional flow of information between CWS-CARES and CalSAWS.