A: No, CWS-CARES will generate forms that support CWS-CARES business processes. Forms generated in CWS-CARES will not also be generated by CalSAWS as part of the interface.

A: In general, the interface is bidirectional, meaning information will be flowing both ways. CWS-CARES will send certain information to CalSAWS, and CalSAWS will send certain information to CWS-CARES. For Issusance Data specifically, the flow of information is strictly from CalSAWS to CWS-CARES. There are some APIs where the flow of information is strictly unidirectional, this information can be found within the July 2026 FCED Newsletter.

A: The CWDS Service Desk will provide system support for the RFA and FFPSA portals. Each portal includes a self-serve password reset option, which resolves most issues such as forgotten passwords. If a user does not receive the password reset email within 24 hours, they should contact the CWDS Service Desk for additional assistance.
Counties are responsible for basic applicant support, such as helping applicants understand how to complete an application or answering general questions.
Portal access varies by portal:

RFA Portal

• Applicants can access the RFA portal through the public link on CWDS or county websites to submit an application
• CWS-CARES RFA Worker or Supervisor may invite an applicant directly only in Emergency Placement situations
• Existing Resource Family Homes (RFH) with an email on file will receive an invitation to the portal
• These actions occur within the CWS-CARES application, and training materials will be provided on how to accomplish this task
• To access an RFA Portal end-to-end demonstration, click the “RFA_Applicant_Portal_-_03-26-2025-_Core_Constituent_Demonstration_for_RFA.mp4” video on the CWS-CARES RFA Demo Videos page.

• Access is by invitation only to Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
• A CWS-CARES worker invites prospective or existing Service Providers by adding or updating the provider record, including email, in CWS‑CARES
• The provider then receives an email to establish a password and update any applicable information.
• CWS-CARES will provide CARES workers with training materials on how to accomplish this task
• To access a FFPSA demonstration, click the “02_23_2026_FM_FFPSA_Portal_CC_Demo_Recording.mp4” video on the CWS-CARES Financial Management Demo Videos page.

A: It is California State policy using National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-53 rev5 guidelines, that account usage be monitored and disable accounts where the user has not logged into the CWS-CARES system for more than 90 days. This policy helps us maintain the data integrity and security of the system. For instance, this policy helps to prevent users who may have left a department, but whose accounts might not have been disabled by that department, from logging in to the system.

The County and Office Administrator will be able to reactivate that user when their account has become disabled.

A: The CWS-CARES Project is currently finalizing its supervisor approval functionality; Currently, CANS is not accessible in a referral. The user would need to promote the referral to a case to include CANS accessibility, which an ER worker will be able to access in CWS-CARES. Including CANS accessibility in referrals will be a future development consideration.

Furthermore, cases plans can begin prior to a CANS being fully completed, but you cannot enter a case plan’s objectives with CANS being completed. This means you can document everything else such as the people involved, permanency goals, visitation plans, agency responsibilities, and Objectives for the Parent/Legal Guardian/Indian Custodian which are based on the Safety Threats identified from the Structured Decision Making (SDM) Safety Assessment. Objectives must be added for the Focus Child(ren) prior to submitting for supervisor approval, so this is the point where a user will be blocked without a CANS Assessment completed. The CANS will also need supervisor approval.

A: CWS-CARES supports uploading, storing, organizing, and retrieving electronic documents. Users can drag and drop files or attach them directly to CWS-CARES records such as Screenings, Contacts, Cases, and Assessments. Therefore, files can be uploaded and associated with an individual's case record. Please see below for a list of file types that can be uploaded into CWS-CARES. If you believe that an additional file type is needed, please engage the User Feedback process.

• .pdf – Adobe PDF
• .doc/.docx – Microsoft Word
• .xls/.xlsx – Microsoft Excel
• .jpeg/.jpg – Images
• .txt – Text files
• .mov/.mkv/.mp4 – Movie & Audio files

A: Yes, Evaluate Out is one of the Response Types in the Screening flow.

A: The Court Order Number is related to the court order that requires the screening, referral, or case to be sealed.

A: Yes, Supervisors and Administrators can both transfer caseloads.

A: Yes, Person Merge functionality will be available in CWS-CARES.