Frequently Asked Questions
Production Simulation
Q: When can I access CWS-CARES Production Simulation?
A: Production Simulation will be available in two phases. Phase 1 includes two key dates. On Monday, May 4, 2026, will have access to the V1 Readiness environment. On Tuesday, May 26, users will transition to the Production Simulation environment. Phase 2 will begin in July 2026.
Q: Who can participate in CWS-CARES Production Simulation?
A: Open to all 58 Counties, Tribes with Title IV-E Agreements, and State Partners.
Q: What is CWS-CARES Production Simulation?
A: Production Simulation is a controlled, production‑like space used to test, validate, and gain knowledge of system processes before the statewide implementation of CWS-CARES V1. The environment mirrors the full CWS-CARES V1 system, ensuring that teams can safely explore, evaluate, and refine workflows without impacting actual production data
Q: Since Production Simulation will not incorporate all the Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) 3 changes, will a list of the EUST 3 issues that are currently being addressed be shared to help avoid duplication of efforts?
A: A report will be shared in the following weeks after EUST 3 ends that will compile, analyze, and summarize the EUST 3 feedback to stakeholders. More information about the report will be shared toward the end of EUST 3.
If you have any additional questions regarding EUST 3, please contact the EUST Team.
Q: Will Production Simulation include all aspects of CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1)?
A: All CARES V1 functionality will be available in Production Simulation, including:
• Intake & Investigations
• Case Management
• Courts
• Resource Family Home
• Resource & Provider Management
• Financial Management
• Eligibility
Q: Will Production Simulation include all aspects of CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1)?
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
Converted external systems data will be integrated as it becomes available.
Q: Will all county users automatically have access to the Production Simulation environment, or will the county have to choose or register specific users to enroll? Lake County strongly suggested including ALL county users to Production Simulation environment instead of having the counties 'register' or 'choose' users for this exercise.
A: The Production Simulation environment is scheduled to be available from May 2026 through the October 2026 Go-Live. Access will be extended to all active CWS/CMS users rather than requiring a manual registration or selection process. We are currently collaborating with the County Advisory Committees to finalize the specific timing of access and any necessary usage prerequisites.
Q: Will data entered during Production Simulation Environment remain after Go-Live or be deleted?
A: Because Production Simulation is used solely for testing and validation, its data will not be moved into the live CWS-CARES Production Environment. There will be periodic refreshes that will delete and update the data with new copies.
Q: Is there additional clarity on the Sandbox versus Production Simulation environments, and whether Production Simulation is intended to replace the Sandbox? Please explain the environments that are available and additional information, such as their purpose, who can request access, how to request access, and the pros and cons of each.
A: Production Simulation is intended to supersede the Sandbox environment, which will be retired once Production Simulation is activated. It is important to note that Business Process Validation (previously called Process Simulation) is not a standalone environment. Instead, it is an activity conducted within the Production Simulation environment to validate workflows.
Unlike temporary testing sites, the Training environment is a permanent resource that will remain available after CWS-CARES V1 go-live to support onboarding and continued learning using generic (non-production) data and artificial cases.
Environment Summary:
- Sandbox: Temporary testing environment; will be replaced by Production Simulation.
- Production Simulation (Pending Federal Approval): Real-data practice environment that will be retired once CWS-CARES is live.
- Training: Ongoing staff development environment using non-production data.
- EUST: Extended User Scenario Testing environment, scheduled to retire after EUST 3.
Q: Following Go-Live (in addition to Production), which CWS-CARES environment(s) (e.g., staging, readiness, training, etc.) will remain available to organizations so that users can continue to "practice/train" in a non-Production environment?
A: Following go-live, counties and organizations will maintain access to multiple environments in addition to Production. This multi-environment structure enables them to develop and test county-specific forms and reports, conduct ongoing practice sessions and staff training, and support continuous learning without disrupting live operations.
Available non-production environments include:
- Training Environment – For staff training and onboarding
- County/Organization Dev Environment – Specifically for forms and report authors to continue development work. This environment will have non-production (test/simulated) data
- Readiness Environment – For ongoing practice and readiness activities. This environment will have production data (refreshed from the Production environment at a yet TBD interval). Can also be used for testing county-developed forms and reports against production data