CWS-CARES Public Library

The CARES Implementation Team is a group within the CARES project team focused on helping Counties, CDSS, Probation, and Tribes with Title IV-E agreements prepare for CARES V1 Go-Live in October 2026. The team is comprised of Implementation Leads (ILs) who are assigned to each of these organizations to serve as single point of contact for all CARES-related tasks and questions.​

ILs collaborate with Implementation Coordinators (ICs) from each organization to regularly review and update the CARES V1 Go-Live Readiness Checklist. The checklist includes people, process, and technology readiness tasks organizations must complete to be ready for Go-Live. ​

Among the key responsibilities of the ILs is learning the new CARES V1 features and functionality so they can provide system demonstrations and answer questions about the new software prior to end user training delivery.​

To stay informed about CARES V1, ILs attend product development meetings, demonstrations, and other project discussions. ILs also play an important role in routing questions received from the organizations, sharing feedback, and pulling in additional subject matter expertise as needed for the completion of readiness tasks. ​

ILs are of critical importance to the success of CARES V1 because they because they provide organizations the support they need to get ready for Go-Live. Additionally, they create visibility into the status and overall health of Go-Live Readiness activities between now and October 2026.​