Product Features
Read about CWS-CARES functionality and new features. Expand your understanding of the new system, how it will work, and what the impact will be for end users.
CWS-CARES Public Library
The CWS-CARES Public Library is a searchable repository of project information. The articles published here may also be located in the CARES Explorer Newsletters. If you have any questions, please contact CWDS Communications.
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Service Areas and Milestones
Learn more about Service Areas (the core functions and capabilities of CWS-CARES related to child welfare activities and practices) and Milestones (significant stages in development).
Teams and Roles
Meet the people behind CWS-CARES and learn more about how different teams work together to shape the final product.
Data and Interfaces
Dive deeper into the data and interfaces that will be needed for CWS-CARES.
Recent Articles
Changes with Automation
Child welfare services technology is being modernized and meeting CCWIS compliance through automation.
Automation is the use of technology to perform tasks where human input is minimized. Automation in CWS-CARES will significantly change the way that people do their daily work related to child welfare services. It streamlines administrative tasks such as data entry, scheduling appointments, and generating reports. Electronic forms facilitate easy access to secure information sharing between different agencies and departments involved in child welfare cases. Automating tasks like eligibility verifications and benefit calculations can reduce the administrative burden on workers.
The goal of CWS-CARES is to ensure that information is available to support all children across California, regardless of their county, have equal access to the level of care, services, and resources. This establishes consistent
standards and protocols for child welfare services to achieve the goal of ensuring all children receive protection and support, regardless of their location.
Each county has unique demographics, challenges, and resource needs, and this statewide system is being built with all counties, Tribes, and other entities in mind, addressing the broader systemic challenges affecting child welfare practices across the state.
Originally published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.
Automation is the use of technology to perform tasks where human input is minimized. Automation in CWS-CARES will significantly change the way that people do their daily work related to child welfare services. It streamlines administrative tasks such as data entry, scheduling appointments, and generating reports. Electronic forms facilitate easy access to secure information sharing between different agencies and departments involved in child welfare cases. Automating tasks like eligibility verifications and benefit calculations can reduce the administrative burden on workers.
The goal of CWS-CARES is to ensure that information is available to support all children across California, regardless of their county, have equal access to the level of care, services, and resources. This establishes consistent
standards and protocols for child welfare services to achieve the goal of ensuring all children receive protection and support, regardless of their location.
Each county has unique demographics, challenges, and resource needs, and this statewide system is being built with all counties, Tribes, and other entities in mind, addressing the broader systemic challenges affecting child welfare practices across the state.
Originally published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.
Tribes and CWS-CARES
Currently there are two Tribes with Title IV-E agreements with CDSS: the Karuk Tribe and Yurok Tribe. Title IV-E agreements allow for funds to pass from the State to the Tribe for the provision of comprehensive child welfare programming and services, depending on the Tribe’s agreement with CDSS. This may include foster care, transitional independent living programs for children, guardianship assistance, and adoption assistance for children.
Representatives from the Karuk and Yurok Tribes are actively involved as Core Constituents and will use CWS-CARES Version 1. Tribal representatives have participated in the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Steering Committee to provide feedback and inclusion of ICWA and Tribal cultural and social standards into the development of CWS-CARES. In 2020, CDSS made a commitment to federally recognized Tribes in California to build all the ICWA AFCARS data elements from the 2016 Final Rule into the new CWS-CARES System.
In September 2023, the steering committee completed gathering input on all ICWA AFCARS data elements, a Race and Ethnicity Model, a Tribal Organization Directory, and additional ICWA best practices. Thank you to the Tribal representatives who have participated in this important work.
About the Karuk and Yurok Tribes
The Karuk Tribe is located in the northwestern corner of present-day California, in Humboldt and Siskiyou counties. The Karuk Tribe is one of the largest Indian Tribes in California. They have a population of 4,800 enrolled members. The Yurok Tribe is located in the northwestern corner of present-day California stretching from Trinidad in the south to Crescent City in the north, spanning Trinity, Del Norte, and Humboldt Counties. They have a population of 6,567 members in the United States and its territories.Originally published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.