CWS-CARES Public Library

The CWS-CARES Project is in an important phase of hands-on testing. Recent usability testing provided insight into system design, and the next major milestone, Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST 3), is coming in early 2026. Together, these efforts help prepare CWS-CARES for Version 1 (V1) Go-Live.

A Look Back at Usability Testing ​

From October – December, the project conducted two Usability Testing Periods with a subset of counties that had previously participated in EUST 2.  These smaller sessions provided an early look at how new CWS-CARES functionality feels to real users and supported logistics and scenario planning for EUST 3. ​

During these periods, county testers worked through targeted tasks in the CWS-CARES Staging Environment and shared feedback on navigation, workflow clarity, and overall user experience. At this time, feedback resulting from usability testing is unlikely to be addressed during EUST 3 and will instead inform overall CWS-CARES development over time. The primary value of these periods was feedback on scenario steps, testing processes, and Structured Decision Making (SDM) assessments, and user flows, which is informing refinement to the EUST 3 testing approach, scenario design and training preparation. ​

Preparing for Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) 3​

EUST 3 is scheduled for February 2 through April 3, 2026, with Admin Console Testing from January 20-30. During EUST 3, participants will complete real-world, end-to-end scenarios that span multiple CWS-CARES service areas to assess system readiness ahead of CWS-CARES V1 Go-Live. 

EUST 3 Timeline at a Glance

Activity ​	Training Dates ​	Testing Dates ​
Admin Console  ​	January 12 – 16, 2026 ​	January 20 – 30, 2026 ​
EUST 3 ​	January 13 – February 20, 2026 ​	February 2 – April 3, 2026 ​
EUST 3R (Reporting) ​	February 17 – 20, 2026 ​	February 23 – April 3, 2026 ​

 

An EUST 3 Kickoff Session was held on January 6, 2026 to review expectations, key dates, and where participants can find support. A full kickoff communication will also be distributed in early January with additional details to guide the testing period. ​

Thank you to all participants for your continued engagement and contributions. Your involvement is essential to shaping CWS-CARES as we move toward V1 Go-Live. For questions, please contact the CWS-CARES EUST Mailbox.

Originally published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Welfare System Branch (CWSB) is undertaking a significant project to update its official letters and notices. This initiative is vital for ensuring all information system guidance is consistent with CARES V1 in preparation for its statewide implementation in October 2026. 

Timeline: May 2025 - October 2026 ​

The primary goal is to identify and revise all County Letters (ACLs) and All County Information Notices (ACINs) that currently contain instructions or guidance related to the legacy CWS/CMS system. We have reviewed and planned next steps for 300 ACLs and ACINs published between 2000 and 2024. This ensures a smooth transition when CWS-CARES Version 1 goes live. 

These updates will directly impact our county partners, who are responsible for putting state child welfare policies into practice locally. We will continue to provide updates as this initiative progresses. 

Originally Published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.

We're excited to announce a new tool designed to inform our external stakeholders about the progress and collaborative efforts surrounding CWS-CARES: the CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summary. This monthly summary will provide a clear overview of the joint achievements of our counties, organizations, and the CWS-CARES project. It will highlight key activities undertaken with our external partners, ensuring everyone has the same picture of what we've accomplished together. 

Each summary will showcase tangible progress across various critical areas, including county participation in prototype and build reviews, forms, reports, data conversion, external systems and interfaces, implementation, Organizational Change Management (OCM), and training. By providing regular updates in these diverse areas, our external stakeholders will gain a realistic understanding of the project's trajectory and our collective progress. ​

We believe this new CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summary will be a valuable communication tool, strengthening our partnerships and ensuring everyone stays informed as we continue to move forward together. The first edition was released on June 4, 2025, with an email announcement to child welfare leadership and CWS-CARES Points of Contacts. This will be a monthly update, posted to the CWDS website and shared in various meetings that contain project updates.   

FAQs​

Who is this for? ​

This summary is specifically designed for our external stakeholders, including child welfare leadership and CWS-CARES Points of Contact, who are seeking a high-level understanding of our progress. ​

How will it be used? ​

This information will be shared in various forums, such as the Monthly CWS/CMS Oversight Committee meetings, Regional User Group (RUG) meetings, Regional Chair meetings, CARES Implementation meetings, and CWDA meetings. ​

What’s included in each summary? ​

• Progress & Engagement Updates: Narrative and visual updates on achievements in key areas. ​

• Resources: Links to relevant documents and information. ​

• Timeline: A visual representation of key project milestones starting June 2025.

Originally Published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.

The CWS-CARES Super Users Program aims to facilitate the successful implementation, adoption, and ongoing utilization of CARES V1 within Organizations. It is voluntary for all Organizations. The Supers Users Program is integral in successfully implementing CWS-CARES by providing post Go-Live support and assisting with worker onboarding. 

Key Roles and Responsibilities of Super Users​

Super Users are organization staff members that support end users with expertise, coaching, and first-level support during critical project phases and at Go-Live. Super Users will be instrumental during the Go-Live phase by partnering with the project's implementation team to provide over-the-shoulder support to CWS-CARES users within their organization.

How many Super Users are there?​

As of May 2025, there are just over 800 Super Users that have been identified across 53 Child Welfare counties, tribes, and CDSS. The project's implementation team will continue to collect names of Super Users.  

Orientation Sessions for CWS-CARES Super Users​

Orientation will provide participants with an in-depth overview of the Super Users Program. This will include the functions of a Super User and strategies for success when implementing CWS-CARES in their Organization. Orientation sessions will also provide more information on the opportunities that Super Users can participate in and what support is offered. 

Originally Published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.

The CARES V1 Implementation Team is preparing to launch a CWS-CARES Sandbox Environment, an online platform where users can practice using CWS-CARES functionality! The Sandbox is scheduled to launch in Summer 2025. Questions can be directed to your CWS-CARES Implementation Lead and more information will be shared as part of monthly Implementation Readiness Meetings via the Implementation Lead for your organization.  ​

How will organizations use the Sandbox? ​

The Sandbox will be used in preparation for CARES V1 readiness activities and will provide early hands-on system exposure prior to Go-Live. Individuals in Organizations with access to the CWS-CARES Sandbox Environment will gain in-depth knowledge and familiarity with the system as it evolves.​

Who will have access to the Sandbox? ​

Counties are responsible for identifying users that will participate in the Sandbox Environment. Those with access to the Sandbox will be better equipped to help provide support to end-users within their organization before, during, and after statewide ​Go-Live.  ​

What functionality will be available? ​

The Sandbox will include the functionality covered through Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST 2) which includes Intake (screening and investigations), Case Management (placement, court hearings), and Eligibility (request initial determination and ​re-determination).  ​

Originally Published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.

Prior to CARES V1 Go-Live in October 2026, the CWS-CARES project will pilot the new system with a small number of counties (including Child Welfare and Probation) with the goal of gathering lessons learned for supporting all Organizations during statewide rollout. In April 2025, the CWS-CARES project invited counties to volunteer to volunteer for the Pilot Program, resulting in twelve responses. In May, the CWS-CARES project applied approved qualitative and quantitative evaluation criteria to score top County candidates for Pilot participation.  ​

The CWS-CARES project in partnership with County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA), is pleased to announce the counties that were selected to participate in Pilot. Congratulations to Butte, Fresno, San Diego, San Mateo, and Tuolumne Counties! Counties were selected based on the criteria and process defined as part of the approved CWS-CARES V1 Pilot Plan.  ​

As Pilot participants, these counties will help inform the development of interim business processes, exercise and sign-off on business functions in CWS-CARES and provide feedback throughout the Pilot period. The project has also selected counties to serve as Pilot alternates, which will be prepared to join the Pilot in the case that one or more of the selected counties is unable to do so. The CWS-CARES Pilot will launch in August of 2026 – thank you to all counties who volunteered to participate!​

Originally Published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.

In May 2025, the CWS-CARES Implementation Team held Process Information Sessions for Intake (Screening and Investigations). These sessions walked organizations through the new Intake processes and terminology they can expect to see in CWS-CARES; they also highlighted the ways CWS-CARES is different from CWS/CMS. Session participants are sharing what they've learned with their organizations to help prepare for CWS-CARES Go-Live. 

New Terminology in CWS-CARES

Here are a few new terms CWS-CARES users will see across different areas of the new system: 

Client → Person​
Individuals who play a role in a Screening, Referral, or Case are captured as 'Persons' in CWS-CARES. Persons categorized as Core Participants can include the focus child, parent, CFT Member, and more.​

Client Abstract/Notebook → Person Profile/Record​
The ‘Person Record’ in CWS-CARES holds details about the Person depending on their role. The Person Record for a focus child includes comprehensive details and demographics including date of birth, address, education, health information, and more.

New Features and Updates in CWS-CARES

Two-Step Referral Process ​

Hotline Workers will document information from the reporter into a Screening record in CWS-CARES. If an investigation is required, the Hotline Supervisor will promote this Screening to an Investigation and a new Referral record will be created. The assigned Emergency Response Worker will then document the details from the Investigation in the Referral record. ​

Streamlined Non-Abuse and Neglect Calls​

Hotline Workers will be able to indicate the reason for calls not related to abuse and neglect, including prevention services requests, community resources, social worker information requests, and prospective young adult re-entry requests. CWS-CARES will prompt the worker to collect only the information needed and generate reports on the different types of calls.​

Data Integration ​

Workers conducting assessments can easily access SDM by clicking a link within CWS-CARES. After they've completed an assessment in SDM, that data will populate back into CWS-CARES to eliminate duplicate data entry.​

Dashboards​

Dashboards in CWS-CARES will organize Screenings, Referrals, assessments, and other work items to give workers and supervisors visibility to pending work. ​Supervisors can see a list of Screenings and Referrals that have been submitted for approval and how much work is assigned to each of their workers. Workers can see a list of Screenings and Referrals assigned to them and track unsubmitted items. ​

Address Validation​

CWS-CARES will have address validation software that checks entered addresses against the United States Postal Service records to help prevent incorrect or incomplete addresses. Workers will have the option to override a suggested address. ​

Autogenerated Email Responses​

A Mandated Reporter may now choose to receive the Emergency Response Notice of Disposition by email. CWS-CARES will automatically send this document to the email address provided to the Hotline Worker and evaluate at the disposition of a screening or an investigation.  ​

Originally Published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.

We're pleased to share some key takeaways and progress from our recent EUST 2 efforts involving the CalSAWS and CWS-CARES interface, called Foster Care Eligibility Determination (FCED). ​

It's encouraging to report that many testers successfully replicated the core functionality of the interface, establishing case links and exchanging data and documents effectively. A significant achievement was the observed real-time data exchange between the systems. This demonstrates the responsiveness and efficiency of the current integration. We truly value all feedback received, as it indicates that we are providing a functioning product for our users to interact with and evaluate. We acknowledge that some users experienced initial login difficulties during the first few days of testing. We have addressed these issues and are continuously working to ensure a seamless user experience. ​

Testers gave important feedback about how the CalSAWS test scripts and instructions needed to better match those for CWS-CARES EUST 2. To address this, we are committed to closer collaboration with CalSAWS during scenario preparation and will conduct thorough reviews of CalSAWS steps to ensure better synchronization. ​

In response to testers' requests for increased visibility into CalSAWS processes and steps, we are exploring opportunities for CWS-CARES testers to attend CalSAWS kickoffs and training sessions, and vice versa. We are also considering integrating relevant CalSAWS scenario materials into our CWS-CARES materials to provide a more comprehensive view. ​

Based on the feedback received in EUST 2, a new requirement was identified for the Eligibility Resource area. We learned that clearer error messaging is needed to notify users of any data fields that are incomplete before submitting to CalSAWS.  ​

Eligibility testers said they need to better understand what happens in CalSAWS after data is sent from CWS-CARES. Additionally, testers expressed challenges in understanding the technical error messages received. To improve user experience, we're making it easier to see what's happening behind the scenes and understand error messages. We are actively implementing this enhancement prior to V1 Go-Live.​

This collaborative testing effort with CalSAWS has provided valuable insights, and we are committed to acting on this feedback to further refine and strengthen the integration between our systems. We appreciate the valuable feedback from our EUST 2 testers and remain dedicated to continuous improvement. ​

Interested in learning more about FCED? 

On June 3, 2025 the project hosted an​ Introduction to FCED for Counties webinar. The session provided county staff with a foundational overview of FCED in CWS-CARES, covering the Who, What, When, Why, and How of the foster care eligibility determination process. The webinar also included a detailed demonstration of FCED functionality and live Q&A. For those who couldn’t attend, a recording of the session is available on the CWDS website.​

Stay tuned for more learning opportunities as we continue to roll out FCED support. Thank you to everyone who attended the session! 
 

Originally Published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.

Thanks to the valuable feedback we received from Extended User Feedback Testing (EUST) 2 participants, the CWS-CARES team is making updates to improve the system experience. Below is a summary of what we heard and how your input is driving changes. 

From March 24 to April 18, 2025, the CWS-CARES project held its second round of EUST with 198 staff from 25 counties and CDSS participating. This critical effort provided the opportunity to test real-world scenarios and provide feedback on key system areas including Case Management, Resource Management, Eligibility, and Courts. 

Compared to EUST 1, EUST 2 saw a significant increase in participation and feedback – 198 testers submitted 977 feedback items, up from 51 testers and 330 raw feedback items in EUST 1.  

What's Next?

A feedback summary report was shared with all EUST 2 participants on May 14, 2025. The CWS-CARES team is now incorporating high-priority feedback. Looking ahead, the project is preparing for the next round of feedback: 

• EUST 3R – January 2026 ​

• EUST 3 – February 2026 

Specific dates for the next testing period will be shared in the coming months. We thank all EUST 2 participants for their thoughtful contributions. Your feedback is shaping a better, more effective CWS-CARES for everyone. 

Feedback Highlights and Themes

CWS-CARES Feedback​:

The chart below shows how feedback was distributed across the service areas. Case Management received the most input, followed by Courts, Eligibility, and Resource Management. 



Testers shared positive impressions of the system’s improved design, ease of use, and overall user experience. Of the 977 feedback items received, 33 resulted in new functional requirements for development into CWS-CARES. 

EUST 2 Process Feedback:

Support resources – such as training videos, the feedback site, check-in meetings, and office hours – were cited as helpful. ​Participants also identified opportunities for improvement: ​

• Clearer, more detailed instructions ​

• Better alignment and coordination with CalSAWS ​

• More targeted training for new users ​

These suggestions are being used to improve materials and prepare for future testing efforts.​ Please contact the EUST team at careseust@otsi.ca.gov for more information about system and process feedback.

Originally Published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.

When an organization replaces a software system, the changes extend beyond the technology. The transition requires updates to workflows, processes, policies, and procedures that impact the way staff perform their daily tasks. This is especially true for a change as comprehensive as the transition from CWS/CMS to CWS-CARES. 

To support a smooth transition, the Implementation Team will host a series of Process Information Sessions for county child welfare and juvenile probation departments, related California Department of Social Services (CDSS) subdivisions, and Tribes with Title IV-E Agreements with CDSS. These sessions will provide an overview of new system processes and highlight the key features and benefits that CWS-CARES users can expect. Here’s what participants can expect during the sessions: 

• Recorded demonstrations of high-level functionality in CWS-CARES
• A walk-through of new processes, key changes, new features, and new terms in CWS-CARES
• Guidance on next steps each organization’s team will take after the session

After the session, participants will receive a packet of materials including CWS-CARES (To-Be) Process Maps, CWS/CMS current (As-Is) Process Maps, a list of change impacts, and a description of terminology changes between CWS/CMS and CWS-CARES. Participants will take the information and materials from the session back to their teams to identify policies, procedures, and other updates needed to align with the new processes in CWS-CARES.

When will these sessions be held?

The first set of sessions will focus on Intake (Screening and Investigations*) and will be held in May 2025. Intake sessions will be scheduled for county child welfare departments according to their region, along with sessions for Los Angeles County. County Implementation Coordinators are working with their teams to finalize the attendees for the sessions. 

Additional sessions for other service areas will be held throughout 2025 and into early 2026. The project will continue to coordinate with CDSS, juvenile probation departments, and Tribes with Title IV-E Agreements with CDSS to determine which sessions they should attend based on the type of work their teams perform. If you have any questions about these sessions or the attendance lists, please reach out to your CWS-CARES Implementation Lead.

*Some counties refer to Screening as “Hotline” or “Intake” and to Investigations as “ER (Emergency Response)” or “Referral Investigations.”

Originally published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.