Frequently Asked Questions
Data
Q: Is Binti Family Finding functionality part of CWS-CARES scope?
A: Yes, the Binti Family Finding module is in scope and part of CWS-CARES data conversion effort.
Q: When will the legacy data layer be available?
A: The Legacy Data Layer is available in CWS-CARES environments. Documentation is included in the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary and SqlDBM. County Developers have access to this in CARES102 (CountyDev) and this feature will be included in the Production Simulation environment once this is made available to the counties.
Q: Will Production Simulation include the counties' Binti data?
A: Yes, the Binti data will be included in the Production Simulation environment once the project has loaded, converted the data, and counties have verified the data. However, we do not anticipate Binti data will be available at the beginning of Production Simulation.
Q: How will CWS-CARES handle Resource Family Approval (RFA) home naming conventions when Binti does not create facility names the same way as CWS/CMS?
A: For CWS-CARES data migration, CWS/CMS remains the system of record. Naming and facility records will follow CWS-CARES standards, with issues reviewed during data mapping and validation.
Q: Will there be a period where counties can review Binti and CWS-CARES side by side before Binti becomes read-only?
A: Yes, this period will occur during mock conversion validation and Production Simulation. Additionally, counties can request data copy from Binti to review side-by-side comparison.
Q: Are the data mapping validation sessions cumulative?
A: No, data mapping validation sessions are not cumulative. Each session reviews a specific set of tables, and counties may attend sessions independently.
Q: How will CWS-CARES match Binti records to CWS/CMS when IDs and names do not align one-to-one?
A: Matching records from Binti to CWS-CARES will rely on external or licensing identifiers rather than names alone. Counties play a role in ensuring those identifiers are populated.
Q: Will Binti documents be converted?
A: Yes. Binti documents, often referred to as unstructured data, are planned to be migrated into CWS-CARES.
Q: What happens if the external ID needed to link records is missing?
A: If the external ID is missing and the relationship cannot be established, the system may not be able to reliably match records. In these cases, county assistance may be required to resolve gaps.
Q: Will data entered or changed in the Production Simulation environment be saved or written back to CWS/CMS?
A: CWS/CMS production data will be loaded into the Production Simulation environment, but updates or changes will not be automatically saved in CWS/CMS. Any changes will be lost each time the Production Simulation environment is refreshed with new data. Please note that data entered into the Production Simulation will not transfer to CWS/CMS. Since the simulation is strictly a practice environment, CWS/CMS remains the sole statewide system of record. Consequently, any data required for official records will still require entry into CWS/CMS.