Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When are Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) assigned that role in CWS-CARES?
A: In CWS-CARES, once the adoptions service request has been approved, the placement providers are brought over to the adoption case as Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs).
Q: How should counties document relinquishments and pay foster care for children from the community who are not dependents?
A: Independent Adoptions are not part of the scope for CWS-CARES Version 1. Given that, all Independent Adoption work would follow the same process that counties and CDSS are using today.
Q: For the Relinquishment rights section, will there be an 'Other' option with free-text entry for the designated name?
A: For V1, CWS-CARES will only cover Adoptions for children who are in the foster care system, which does not include a section for “other” with a textbox. This is because while the family can request a designated relinquishment, it has to be agreed upon and accepted by the Adoption Agency. Adoption Agencies will only accept these relinquishments if these homes are Resource Family Approval (RFA) approved. Therefore, the family will be known to CWS-CARES and will have an RFA record.
Q: Will adoptions workers have permission to access Resource Family Approval (RFA)?
A: This will be controlled by county administrators and their delegation of permissions per county business practice.
Q: If a resource family home belongs to another county, can an Adoptions worker access its Resource Family Approval (RFA) information?
A: Yes, an Adoptions Worker will be able to view the RFA Written Report.
Q: Does the suitability assessment auto-populate into the 366.26 Selection and Implementation Hearing court report?
A: The Parent Child Suitability Summary (PCSS) is generated into a separate document that is signed by both the Adoption worker and Adoption Supervisor and does not auto-populate into the 366.26 Selection and Implementation Hearing report. The PCSS is available to the Case Management (CM) Worker in the Assessments section of the Case Management case. The CM worker can then attach it to the 366.26 Selection and Implementation Hearing report.
Q: For post-adoption agreements, can counties upload documents?
A: Yes. Documents can be uploaded for post-adoption agreements.
Q: Is the adoptions supervisor responsible for closing only the adoptions case, or both the adoptions and Foster Care cases?
A: This is a county decision.
Q: What portals will be included with CWS-CARES at Go-Live?
A: There are two portals for CARES V1: the Resource Family Approval (RFA) Portal and the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) Portal (Service Provider/Community-Based Organization Portal).
Q: What is Tableau used for in CWS-CARES, and are counties responsible for Tableau licensing?
A: Tableau is used within CWS-CARES to support reporting and report migration activities. The Project maintains the necessary Tableau licensing for all counties. As such, counties are not responsible for purchasing separate Tableau licenses or covering additional subscription costs.