Frequently Asked Questions

External Systems

Q: Will E-Adopt for Resource Family Approval (RFA) data be converted to the Child Welfare Services/California Automated Response and Engagement Systems (CWS-CARES) upon go-live?

A: As of December 2023, E-Adopt for Resource Family Approval (RFA) is currently being researched and evaluated to determine if it is a candidate for external system data conversion.

Q: Will Child Welfare Services-California Automated Response and Engagement System (CWS-CARES) be able to connect to external data sources such as County databases, Structured Decision Making (SDM), CalWORKs, Call Center data?

A: CWS-CARES will interface with a number of partners to ensure that CWS-CARES has timely and pertinent data for the CWS-CARES child welfare and is able to present a holistic view of an individual or a case. Currently, for the release of CWS-CARES Version 1 (V1), the CWS-CARES team will be interfacing with:

  • California Department of Social Services (CDSS) – Licensing Information System (LIS) will provide information on licensed placement providers for workers within CWS-CARES. This is something that currently takes place within CWS/CMS and CARES-Live.
  • California Department of Social Services – Facility Automation System (FAS) will provide children’s residential facilities information for workers within CWS-CARES.
  • California Department of Social Services - County Expense Claim Reporting and Information System (CECRIS) will allow workers to complete the necessary expense claims within CWS-CARES including the ability to produce CB-496 and CFS 101 with both IV-E and IV-B expenditures and caseloads.
  • California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) will provide Regional Center placement options into the CWS-CARES provider directory. This will allow workers to easily access critical regional center information without having to leave CWS-CARES.
  • California Department of Education (CDE) will provide updated school (resource) data elements within CWS-CARES, similar to what is currently in CWS/CMS. This information will not include child specific school or grade level information.
  • California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS) – Foster Care Eligibility Determination (FCED) is an interface between CWS-CARES and CalSAWS/FCED that will eliminate the need for manual data entry from one system to another and automate the eligibility determination process in a cost effective and efficient manner.
Evident Change – Structured Decision Making (SDM) will allow for workers to have a single sign on to the SDM tool within CWS-CARES, where assessments will be completed with data being pulled into CWS-CARES for a comprehensive view of a case. The SDM assessment will include the Hotline Assessment, Risk and Safety Assessment(s), Substitute Care Provider Assessment, and the Re-Unification Assessment.

Q: Can you provide information on county data transfers, housing data in from Child Welfare Services-California Automated Response and Engagement System (CWS-CARES) in house, and how counties will receive our data in monthly extracts?

A: Yes, data extracts will be available. The project is currently working on designing and implementing secure mechanisms to provide data extracts to organizations. Details will be provided via CWS-CARES Analytics Transition Workgroup in the coming weeks.

Q: Can counties get guidance for validating converted data?

A: Yes, there are certain activities that counties should practice when validating converted data. As guidance, counties should practice the following:

  • Identify knowledgeable staff
  • Validate accuracy and completeness
  • Run county-specific test scenarios
  • Provide structured feedback