A: These lists were shared as part of the EUST 3 Report Out presentation – please reference this document for the itemization of the essential, refinement, and enhancement development tickets produced by EUST 3 feedback.

Regarding training materials, the Training Team will incorporate updates based on the functionality available at the time materials are finalized. Any changes implemented after training materials are completed will be captured in supplemental job aids, release notes, or updated training content as needed prior to Go‑Live. This ensures training remains accurate and aligned with the final solution.

A: For dedicated counties, servers located there will remain post-launch of CWS-CARES. These are the counties’ DHCP/File/Print/Utility servers used to access CWDS state resources and are separate from CWS/CMS application. At this time, there is no plan to remove these servers.

A: Non-Federally recognized Tribes are included in the Tribal Directory built by Resource Management. CWS-CARES will allow a user to capture all Tribal ancestry information for a child and family regardless of whether the Tribe is Federally Recognized. CWS-CARES functionality supports lineal descendancy and the Spirit of ICWA for Non-Federally Recognized Tribes. For any additional project questions, please send to the Customer Relations Mailbox.

A: All CARES V1 functionality will be available in Production Simulation, including:

• Reporting
• Intake & Investigations
• Case Management
• Courts
• Resource Family Home (RFH)
• Resource & Provider Management
• Financial Management
• Eligibility

A: Dedicated County Users will be expected to access CWS-CARES using their dedicated county machines (supported by CWDS), similar to how they currently access CWS/CMS. Non-CWDS-supported county machines will not be allowed to access CWS-CARES. Users with specialized access needs (as seen in CWS/CMS) may be assigned SCBS-Citrix access based on specific business requirements.
 

A: Our Disaster Recovery Plan is called a Technical Recovery Plan (TRP). The Project team recognizes the criticality of a comprehensive TRP to ensure continuity and resilience across CWS-CARES. While a finalized plan is not yet available for distribution, significant work has been underway to align our recovery strategy with best practices and stakeholder needs. We anticipate further development and refinement of the TRP over the coming months, with a potential target for completion around mid-2026. We appreciate the interest and will continue to provide updates as the plan evolves and is ready to share with the counties.

A: The scope of CWS-CARES Version 2 is confidential and cannot be disclosed at this time. Details will be shared once the request for offer (RFO) is released to the public. A request for offer is a document used by procurement teams to gather and compare information from vendors.  

A: The CWS-CARES project has a Core Constituent Participation (CCP) model to ensure collaboration with counties and Tribes. The CWS-CARES Version 2 CCP model employs the same methodology as the current CWS-CARES Version 1 model, as detailed Special Project Report (SPR) 6 and ACL 23-62 (July 18, 2023). The Version 2 CCP model maintains the same high-level activity categories as Version 1 CCP model, including milestone design and development, implementation, external systems development and research, and interfaces. Annual funding allocations are determined based on planned activities and budget availability. 

A: Here are the following timeframes for the various levels of deficiency as documented in CWS-CARES & CARES RFA Service Level Agreements:

• For Level 1 Deficiency, the Contractor shall fix issue and close the service request ticket within four (4) hours after Contractor receives the service request ticket in the Contractor’s queue within the State’s service request tool.
• For Level 2 Deficiency, the Contractor shall fix the issue and close the service request ticket within three (3) calendar days after Contractor receives the service request ticket in the Contractor’s queue within the State’s service request tool.
• For Level 3 Deficiency, the Contractor shall fix the issue and close the service request ticket within fourteen (14) calendar days after Contractor receives the service request ticket in the Contractor’s queue within the State’s service request tool.
• Lastly, for Level 4 Deficiency, there is currently no defined service level agreement.

A: Here are a few of the most common references to CWS-CARES: