CWS-CARES Public Library

Goals and Objectives

A critical goal for CWS-CARES is making forms and documents efficient for workers to generate and manage, and to standardize statewide forms in one system. The CWS-CARES project understands that counties have their own custom forms and may have unique document generation requirements; CWS-CARES will support document generation for both Microsoft Word and Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) templates. Due to state requirements, all forms must adhere to the ADA guidelines as a development best practice. 

Training for Forms Authors​

Training for County forms authors consists of self-paced training and hands-on virtual training sessions. Self-paced training covers 12 lessons that focus on understanding and building PDF forms. Hands-on training covers Document Generation Solution components, eSignature, Forms Workspace access, template design considerations and development, testing, migration, and deployment. Hands-On Training for Cohorts 2 and 3 is scheduled for July 2025. Training for Cohort 4 will begin in August 2025.

Improvements from CWS/CMS​

In CWS/CMS, counties were limited to 200 forms. CWS-CARES does not have a limit on the number of forms that counties can build and make available to their county workers. County Forms Authors will be able to map data fields from CWS-CARES to forms so that data is automatically populated when the related document is generated by a worker. County Forms Authors will also be able to download any statewide form built in CWS-CARES, customize it for their county’s requirements, and save it for their workers to use. 

Progress Updates​

• All counties have been given an inventory of their county specific forms which are available in CWS/CMS. ​

• A tracker, ‘CARES Forms Tracker’ is available in the CARES Forms Workgroup Team(s) channel containing the state forms for CARES V1 development. ​

• A Forms Workgroup was created to support counties with forms management. Please contact them at otsicwdscaresforms@otsi.ca.gov with questions.​

• The Project has provisioned a new environment specifically to support county forms development activities.

Originally Published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.

In CWS-CARES, the Court Record section will house all court work items, hearings, hearing outcomes, and active and closed cases. CWS-CARES will also facilitate the preparation and automation of documents and reports to ensure timely delivery. ​CARES Version 1 will include the following functionality in the Court Record: 

Petitions ​

Petitions under WIC 300, 342, and 387, which pertain to removal and custody of children through the Dependency Court, can be created in CWS-CARES. WIC 388 petitions, Request to Change Court Order, will also be available. Petition allegations and counts will now be available for selection and the appropriate JV forms (120 – 129) will then auto generate based on the allegations in the petition. Petition statuses will also be tracked and modified once ruled on by the court to create the final petition. ​

Hearings ​

Hearing types, dates, and times will be documented in CWS-CARES, as well as the status of each hearing. As hearing dates are entered, noticing guidelines, timeframes, and details will be automatically generated in CWS-CARES, per WIC codes, for each hearing type.  ​

Court Reports ​

Court Reports will look familiar; they are patterned after the INI templates used in CWS/CMS. Each county will be able to select the template that meets their court’s requirements and make alterations if needed. Unlike CWS/CMS, Court Reports can be created using Adobe (AEM) or Word, using prepopulated information from CWS-CARES. To create the Hearing Packet, users will have the ability to merge any documents, such as Case Plans, Service Provider Reports and/or other documents, with the Court Report. Electronic signatures will be available in CWS-CARES to make document signing more efficient for case workers. ​

Warrants (New!)​

Each County will be able to upload their own Warrant templates into CWS-CARES to comply with their practice and court preferences. Later updates of CWS-CARES may include an interface that supports sending and receiving Warrants in the system, along with many other court work items and documents. ​

Discovery Requests (New!)​

Discovery requests can be easily processed and documented in CWS-CARES. The documents selected for the request can now be merged into a PDF and automatically stored in the system. The status of the Discovery Request can be tracked or assigned to another user. Once complete, the Discovery documents can be provided to parties via secure email, hard copy or flash drive, based on County policy. ​

Court Officer Notes (New!)​

Documenting important case information has never been easier; child welfare workers will now be able to immediately enter the court’s findings and orders in the Court Officer Notes section. These notes can be entered in the Hearing Results section of CWS-CARES and emailed to relevant parties (social worker, supervisor, eligibility). A signed copy of the Minute Order can also be uploaded into the system for easy reference once it is available. ​

Confidential Client Attorney Contacts (New!)​

Confidential Client Attorney Contacts is a new feature in CARES V1. It will allow consultations between staff and County Counsel to be documented in a secure contact that, due to their legally confidential nature, will not be subject to discovery requests or any type of records request. They will only be viewable by those assigned to the case, the supervisor, and the manager. ​

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.

The Q&A feature in Microsoft Teams is used by the Project for large webinars like the Stakeholder Briefing. Attendees can easily ask questions, add emoji reactions, and upvote posts with Teams Q&A. Below is a brief introduction on how to use this tool. 

Accessing Teams Q&A

The teams Q&A button is located on the menu bar across the top of the screen, next to the Chat feature (note: the chat feature may be disabled in webinars where the Project uses Q&A). Clicking on the Q&A button will open a side panel on the right side of the screen. Here, attendees can ask questions, start discussions, and view the archive of posts from the webinar.  

Pinned Posts

At the top of the thread, attendees will see posts pinned by the organizers of the meeting. They may contain announcements or resources applicable to all attendees. Pinned posts will show a green pin on the top right corner and will remain at the top of the thread throughout the meeting. 
 

Asking Questions and Starting Discussions

To ask a question, select “Ask a Question” from the dropdown, then click “Publish”. Attendees can also “Start a Discussion” to add comments that do not require a response (i.e. requests for troubleshooting). 

Best Answer Feature

Questions that have been answered or vetted by CWS-CARES Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will be marked with the “Best Answer” check mark.  

Reactions and Participation

Attendees can react to posts with emojis or with upvotes by clicking the blue arrow icon in the bottom left corner. 

Moderation Settings

Depending on the webinar, the Project may turn on additional moderation features which limit the amount of questions in the main thread. If these settings are enabled, there may be a delay in seeing your question appear while a SME generates a response.

For additional support with Microsoft Teams or to request accommodations for a virtual meeting, please contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@osi.ca.gov. 

A system interface is the point of interaction or communication between different systems. Interfaces allow systems to interact with each other and share data.

CARES V1 will include the following interfaces:

Background

One of the main benefits in transitioning from legacy to CWS-CARES is the creation of a single, comprehensive data system. With streamlined case data entry and storage, counties will save time and resources and reduce the need for supplementary external systems.  

What are external systems? 

An external system is defined by the project as, “a tool or application used by organizations to deliver child welfare services in addition to, or outside of, the legacy CWS/CMS solution. This includes Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software, County-developed systems, and data files.” The project is actively working on identifying which of these external systems have overlapping, or “duplicative,” functionality with CWS-CARES. 

How does the project determine which external systems have overlapping or duplicative functionality? 

Given that CWS-CARES is still in development, discussions about external systems can be challenging. While the CWS-CARES Project Value Services (PVS) team has made initial assessments on which systems are duplicative, they rely on county input and collaboration to make all final determinations. The External Systems Coordination Unit (ESCU) has defined the categories for external systems as: 

• In-scope – a system with functionality that will be fully covered by CARES V1 
• Partially in-scope – a system with some functionality that overlaps with CARES V1 and some functionality that does not overlap with CARES V1
• Out of scope – a system with functionality that is not planned for inclusion in CARES V1 

External Systems Flow Chart

What will happen to external systems after Go-Live?

Due to federal regulations, all systems that are fully in-scope (duplicative functionality to CWS-CARES) will eventually need to be decommissioned, or discontinued, from use. Counties, in collaboration with ESCU, will develop tailored plans for external systems deemed in-scope and partially in-scope, to ensure continued operations. These plans will account for system dependencies with other external systems, the criticality of any missing functionality, alternate solutions, and whether the absent functionality is planned for inclusion in future versions of CWS-CARES. Out of scope systems may continue operating with or without modifications, as long as they remain compliant with federal and state regulations. 

What support can counties expect when planning for decommissioning? 

We are committed to meeting county and tribe needs for support, transparency, and uninterrupted county and tribe business activity throughout the transition to CWS-CARES and beyond. We have created the External Systems Coordination Unit (ESCU), a team solely dedicated to providing counties with support in preparation for the decommissioning process. As we approach Go-Live, ESCU will work in collaboration with county representatives to create decommissioning plans that address individual county needs while also ensuring federal and Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) compliance. 

How will external systems data be converted to CWS-CARES?

Counties will conduct Source-to-target-mapping (STTM), data cleansing, and data loading for eligible systems. For systems that are not being converted but will be decommissioned or taken offline, counties will need to determine how best to retain and access necessary data. This may include maintaining read-only access, manual data entry, or implementing other solutions to support operational needs.

We recognize that counties and tribes are experiencing a lot of change in the transition to CWS-CARES; we appreciate your patience, feedback, and active participation throughout the process.  

Originally published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.

The CDSS Office of Tribal Affairs (OTA) is grounded in meaningful Tribal Consultation and Engagement that elevate and assist in building the capacity of the State, Tribes, and Counties to collaboratively create and sustain an equitable continuum of care for American Indian and Alaska Native children and families.

The Office of Tribal Affairs, as a part of the Office of Equity, guides the California Department of Social Services efforts to help create and facilitate policies, procedures, and programs that serve Tribes, and tribal children and families.

OTA actively contributes to CWS-CARES development by guiding the direction of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Steering Committee. This workgroup consists of tribal representatives collaborating with CWDS and CDSS to improve data quality and ICWA implementation in California. Through these discussions, OTA has helped shape key system updates to be more inclusive and culturally responsive. These efforts ensure CWS-CARES better reflects tribal children and families’ needs and strengthens data collection for improved child welfare outcomes.

Originally published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.

Stakeholder Briefing #2: January 2025

Stakeholder Briefing sessions are pivotal to keep counties, tribes, and partner organizations informed on the CWS-CARES project. The second Stakeholder Briefing Session was held on January 29, 2025. There were 557 virtual attendees for this session – the largest recorded participation rate to date. 52 counties, 13 county probation offices, and 1 tribal community were represented. During the session, participants had an opportunity to ask questions to Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and view CWS-CARES feature highlights and demonstrations. This session, SMEs answered 137 stakeholder questions. Session materials and future dates are posted on the CWDS Website.  

At the end of the January briefing, participants completed an anonymous survey to share their experience. The results of the survey included the following findings:

• A total of 183 complete responses were collected in January.
• 88% of respondents felt satisfied or very satisfied with the Stakeholder Briefing.
• 94% felt that the information presented was either somewhat clear or very clear.
• 89% felt that the information presented was helpful or very helpful in understanding CWS-CARES.

Product Highlights and Demonstrations

During the January Stakeholder Briefing, teams showcased some of the changes that have been made as a result of core constituent feedback. This session included recorded demonstrations of Screening and Investigations, and feature highlights (screenshots) on Case Management and Foster Care Eligibility Determination (FCED).

Screening Demonstration

• Updated Design Templates & Label Updates 
• Safely Surrendered Baby Pathway 
• Provisional Harm and Provisional Danger Statements 
• Unknown Person Name Generator 
• Address updates 
• Structured Decision Making (SDM) Hotline Tool Interface 
• Cross Reports to RFA & SCAR 
• Evaluate Out & Community Resources 

Investigations Demonstration  

• Supervisor Response Type Override 
• Person Relationship Builder 
• Fatality/Near Fatality Documentation with Critical Incident Unit Notification 
• Cross Report – CACI Documentation & Form Generation

Case Management Highlight

• Case Type Differentiation 
• Family Transfer Summary 
• Removal & New Child Location 
• Placement Needs 

Foster Care Eligibility Determination (FCED) Highlight 

• Submit data to CalSAWS, Case Link Request
• CalSAWS worker views: Foster Care Case is linked
• Data exchange between CARES and CalSAWS

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.