A: Data will exchange as close to real-time as possible. A nightly batch occurs as a 'failsafe' if any data does not go through in near real-time.

A: Yes, when CWS-CARES receives data from CalSAWS for issued assistance-related payments, we will only be able to read that information but not edit it. Issuances outside of CalSAWS will be read-only as well after they are uploaded into CWS-CARES via the supplemental form.

A: Aid Codes information comes directly from CalSAWS.

A: Medi-Cal is not being tracked in CARES V1, and CARES V2 scope is not yet available.

A: The system will have different roles such as CBO admin, CBO supervisor and CBO worker. This is based on provider feedback we received that some folks in their organization are handling only administration, and others are managing services and entering info about delivery, etc. It will be up to the county/provider to determine who is assigned what permission in the portal. Portal Administrators have additional capabilities including updating provider profile information, submitting portal access requests, etc.

A: This data being entered in CWS-CARES for FFPSA service cost tracking is not intended to capture costs for CEC reporting. This is specifically to meet federal guidelines for the FFPSA program. CWS-CARES will not replace invoicing processes in V1. CDSS will provide additional guidance on what that will look like.

A: The CWDS Service Desk will be responsible for system support for the RFA and FFPSA portals. Within each portal, should a user need their password reset, there is an option to self-serve a password reset. In most cases this will resolve a user’s password concern, such as forgetting their password. However, if the password reset link is not received by a portal user after 24 hours, the user will need to contact the CWDS Service Desk for additional support.
For basic troubleshooting and supporting the applicant (i.e., how to complete an application), questions on overall application questions and processes, etc., the County would be responsible for providing that support.
Portal access is granted/received in two distinct methods based on the portal.

• RFA Portal – A Resource Family can access the portal via public link on the CWDS and county website(s) and is open for individuals to submit applications for interest in becoming a Resource Family Home (RFH). The second way to access the RFA Portal is for a CWS-CARES RFA Worker or RFA Supervisor to initiate an invitation to the prospective portal applicant. It should be noted that this method of invitation is only in the circumstance of an Emergency Placement, otherwise the Applicant would go to the public link to apply. Existing RFH homes with an email address previously provided will be extended an invitation to the portal. This will be done in the CWS-CARES application and dedicated training materials and guides will be provided on how to accomplish this task.

• Link to RFA Portal end-to-end demonstration
   
• FFPSA Portal – Access to this portal is by invitation only to Community Based Organizations (CBOs). A CWS-CARES worker will initiate the invitation to the portal by adding the prospective or existing Service Provider to CWS-CARES, including their email. Once the email address has been added to CWS-CARES, the provider will receive an email inviting them to the FFPSA Portal. With this invitation email, the provider will be able to establish their password and update any applicable information. CWS-CARES will provide CARES workers with the necessary training materials and guides on how to accomplish this task.
• Link to FFPSA Portal demonstration

• CBO Portal Worker
  • They can fill out and submit candidacy determinations and cost tracking
• CBO Portal Supervisor
  • They receive requests from IV-E agencies
  • They assign CBO workers to children/cases
  • They enter cost information for monthly reports
• CBO Portal Administrator
  • They activate and deactivate portal access for workers within their organization
  • They handle profile changes/updates
  • They upload capacity reports
  • They also enter cost information for monthly reports

A: The County Administrator will be responsible for adding county users to county FFPSA and RFA portals.

A: CWS-CARES will receive client-specific assistance payment details from CalSAWS. That information will be read-only in CWS-CARES.

Note: while CalSAWS sends Assistance Payment information to CWS-CARES, it won't be displayed the same way in CalSAWS and CWS-CARES. That is, if a user looks at an Issuance Detail in CalSAWS and then looks at an Assistance Payment record in CWS-CARES, they will see some of the same data elements, but that page layout and user interface won't be the same.

A: The demonstrations provided by the CWS-CARES Product Team will be posted to this webpage: CWS-CARES Demos | Child Welfare Digital Services

• An additional demo was scheduled for 2/23/26 from 3-5pm PST.
• A final, end-to-end FFPSA demo is in process with CWS-CARES and will be scheduled for early March.