Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility & Foster Care Eligibility Determination (FCED)
Q: Will CWS-CARES V1 include Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (ICAMA) access/functionality?
A: No, CWS-CARES V1 will not include ICAMA access/functionality. It will be considered for future versions of CWS-CARES.
Q: Do Requests for Information (RFIs) have a built-in escalation process, or do they sit for however long it takes to get the requested information?
No, CWS-CARES Version 1 does not include an automated escalation process for Requests for Information (RFIs). Counties should continue following their existing business processes for monitoring and responding to RFIs.
Q: When is the search function in CWS-CARES going to be enhanced? Currently users aren’t able to search by anything but name and that brings back too many results. Users can’t search by state ID, Social Security Number (SSN), or by CalSAWS case number.
A: Focused Search & Person search has been enhanced, and users can now search by IDs such as those mentioned above. You can also include addresses in your search parameters as well.
Why are there separate fields for Current Child Address and Placement Address in the Mandatory Child Eligibility Request Information section of the Eligibility Record? Wouldn't these addresses always be the same if the Eligibility Record is generated when a placement is made?
A: Yes, the Product Team is looking at having just one address, but this change will not be made in CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1).
Q: In our county, the CalSAWS Eligibility Worker collects and enters income. If a worker enters income in CalSAWS, will that populate the income in CWS-CARES?
A: Yes, property or income information entered in CalSAWS for the focus child will transmit over to CWS-CARES. Property or income for other members of the Home of Removal will not be sent from CalSAWS to CWS-CARES in Version 1.
Q: Will all county rates be uploaded to this system? What about Level of Care (LOC), specialized rates, clothing, and general funds?
A: The Financial Management Team is looking at developing rate tables. However, for standard state rates (Level of Care, Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program, etc.), the CWS-CARES user will select the rate type/subtype and send that to CalSAWS. CalSAWS will receive the rate type/subtype and use that to determine the rate from the tables in its system. The CWS-CARES user will only need to enter rate amounts for non-standard rates (rates that are not the same for all counties), such as clothing allowances.
Q: Will a check be distributed without an aid code?
A: Issuance records used to create checks are distributed from CalSAWS after the Eligibility Determination and Benefit Calculation (EDBC) is run; there is no change to this functionality in CalSAWS.
Q: Will the aid codes still come over as 40-non-federal? If eligibility won't be determined until later, will the Eligibility Worker be able to update the aid code after the case is approved by the CalSAWS Eligibility Supervisor?
A: The aid code is determined by CalSAWS. Eligibility Determination and Benefit Calculation (EDBC) will still run to determine an initial aid code while CalSAWS intake is processed (for those counties who issue under non-federal funds initially and finish processing the Foster Care application later). In the State ID section of the Person Record, if no aid code has been received from CalSAWS, the CWS-CARES user can set the aid code to 40 if that is the county business practice. Once CalSAWS sends an aid code to CWS-CARES as a result of running EDBC, then that aid code is reflected on the Eligibility Record and is available to be selected on the Person Record for the State ID. CWS-CARES will continue to work with CalSAWS to determine the appropriate information is sent, including the Legal Authority.
Q: Does "redetermination" refer to the annual Foster Care redetermination or redetermining the aid code/funding source?
A: This depends on the context of the task being carried out. CWS-CARES has the functionality to support Annual Foster Care Redetermination, and redetermination can also refer to when CalSAWS redetermines eligibility based on new data from CWS-CARES.
Q: Is the redetermination still tied to the current Case Plan being within the 6-month time frame for Family Reunification cases? If the Case Plan is not current and past the 6-month time frame, will it still process the redetermination? This could happen if cases are delayed or hearings are continued.
A: CWS-CARES does not process the redetermination itself; CWS-CARES provides updated data to CalSAWS so CalSAWS can process the redetermination. CWS-CARES will pass through the most recent Case Plan date; however, if the Case Plan is late, this would not prevent the CalSAWS Eligibility Worker from processing the redetermination.