A: Additional information was released to all counties on August 31, 2026. For full details, see the Interim Guidance Document: Managing RFA, Emergency Placements, and External Systems Processes at CARES V1 Go-Live in the CWDS website.

To reduce impacts to the families and children we serve, counties will be permitted to complete Resource Family Home Applications initiated prior to CWS-CARES V1 Go-Live in the external system in which it was initiated until data conversion to CWS-CARES is complete. For systems with data conversion deferred to until after CWS-CARES Go-Live, conversion is currently anticipated to occur in July 2027. Once all active applications have been completed in the external system or data conversion is complete, whichever comes first, the external systems identified are required to be made inactive or read-only.

A: Additional information was released to all counties on August 31, 2026. For full details, see the Binti County Guidance Update: Contracts, 181 Report Planning, New Workshop Series and Resources – 8/31/2026 communication in the CWDS website.

Counties should decide whether to extend their Binti contracts based on when those contracts expire and how much Resource Family Approval (RFA) work is still underway. As work in Binti winds down, systems can move to read‑only access.

Because Binti data conversion is planned for end of July 2027, counties are encouraged to keep contract flexibility and ensure they have secure plans for storing any data they retain. Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) waiver funding ends in October 2026, but an extension is being pursued. Any software licensing changes for child welfare systems require an Advance Planning Document (APD) and State approval.

A: Guidance explaining temporary procedures counties must follow for Resource Family Approvals (RFA), Resource Family Homes (RFH), and Emergency Placements when CWS‑CARES Version 1 (CARES V1) goes live was released August 31.
At CARES V1 Go-Live:

• All new RFA/RFH applications and Emergency Placements must be started and managed in CWS‑CARES.
• If an RFA/RFH application is approved in an external system after Go-Live, counties must re‑create and fully process the application in CWS‑CARES so the Resource Family Home can be created.
• Applications already in progress in external systems can continue there through approval.
• Historical information will remain in external systems until data is converted after Go-Live.

A: Additional information was released to all counties on August 31, 2026. For full details, see the Binti County Guidance Update: Contracts, 181 Report Planning, New Workshop Series and Resources – 8/31/2026 communication in the CWDS website.
 

A: For the resource family, the Resource Family Approval (RFA) Portal will be a separate site with a separate log-in from CWS-CARES. However, the data from the RFA Portal will be available within CWS-CARES for the worker.

A: Existing Resource Family Homes (RFHs) that will be onboarded should expect an email coming from the No-Reply CWS-CARES Mailbox. Yes, there is a rough draft of the email's content, which has been included as a screenshot below. To access the portal, new county workers will use their work email and new Resource Family Approval (RFA) parents will use their personal emails. Users will receive emails from the No-Reply Salesforce Mailbox on behalf of No-Reply CWS-CARES Mailbox concerning new requests coming from counties for RFA applications and portal access with the transition to CWS-CARES.

A: Moving from CWS/CMS to CWS-CARES, the email on the Primary Applicant/Resource Parent's Person record will be used for the Resource Family Approval (RFA) Portal. This should correspond with the email on the Primary Service Care Provider (SCP) in CWS/CMS.

A: Approved Resource Family Homes (RFHs)/applicants with an email address associated with their Binti account will receive communications from the Project and/or county regarding the transition from Binti to CWS-CARES and any actions needed to maintain progress toward approval. As part of this transition, RFHs/applicants will receive an invitation to the RFA portal and will follow the steps to create a CWS-CARES portal account. It is expected that information previously submitted in Binti will be available to them within the CWS-CARES portal.

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: This will be controlled by county administrators and their delegation of permissions per county business practice.