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
Documents are moving from an old house (CWS/CMS) to a new house (CWS-CARES)
Picture this: You’re moving from an old house to a new house. What do you pack for the new house? What items do you decide to leave behind? Here, we explain why moving documents from CWS/CMS to CWS-CARES is like moving from an old to a new house.
The benefits of moving documents to CWS-CARES include the following:
CWS-CARES is like a spacious, modern house. There's plenty of room for everything (data) and the layout is designed for efficiency (optimized workflows).
Over 72 million existing CWS/CMS documents from the last 25+ years were uploaded from CWS/CMS mainframe format and converted into compatible documents for CWS-CARES (e.g., doc, jpg, pdf, and xls formats).
The new CWS-CARES “house” will include features that the old one didn't, such as improved security. We scanned all the documents against viruses and malware during conversion and security is enforced in the CARES application and infrastructure.
Moving documents from CWS/CMS to CWS-CARES provides an opportunity to archive irrelevant information, freeing up storage space and improving data accuracy.
Until CWS-CARES launches in 2026, documents will continue to be uploaded to CWS/CMS every minute! We convert approximately 100,000 documents from CWS/CMS to CWS-CARES on a weekly basis.
Migrating documents is a long and complex process, and we’ve been working on this since September 2022. Thank you to the County IT and Data SMEs who have been participating in data activities. Their continuous efforts and participation have been essential to data migration success. We extend our gratitude to every member of the County IT/Security, CWS-CARES Data Conversion and Data Infrastructure teams.
Originally published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.
The benefits of moving documents to CWS-CARES include the following:
CWS-CARES is like a spacious, modern house. There's plenty of room for everything (data) and the layout is designed for efficiency (optimized workflows).
Over 72 million existing CWS/CMS documents from the last 25+ years were uploaded from CWS/CMS mainframe format and converted into compatible documents for CWS-CARES (e.g., doc, jpg, pdf, and xls formats).
The new CWS-CARES “house” will include features that the old one didn't, such as improved security. We scanned all the documents against viruses and malware during conversion and security is enforced in the CARES application and infrastructure.
Moving documents from CWS/CMS to CWS-CARES provides an opportunity to archive irrelevant information, freeing up storage space and improving data accuracy.
Until CWS-CARES launches in 2026, documents will continue to be uploaded to CWS/CMS every minute! We convert approximately 100,000 documents from CWS/CMS to CWS-CARES on a weekly basis.
Migrating documents is a long and complex process, and we’ve been working on this since September 2022. Thank you to the County IT and Data SMEs who have been participating in data activities. Their continuous efforts and participation have been essential to data migration success. We extend our gratitude to every member of the County IT/Security, CWS-CARES Data Conversion and Data Infrastructure teams.
Originally published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.
The Power of Content Management
Imagine CWS-CARES as a big city, bustling with information flowing everywhere. CWS-CARES content management acts like the city's library, a content repository so to speak, and archive system ensuring that all crucial documents are stored electronically, organized, quickly accessed, and secure. This eliminates files stored in various places, and time wasted searching for content. Just like a library adds new books, CWS-CARES content management allows for easy upload of electronic documents and scanning of paper documents. Librarians categorize books; CWS-CARES content management uses metadata (descriptive labels) and indexing to classify documents. This makes searching easier, like finding a book by title or author.
As a library offers designated areas for group study, CWS-CARES content management facilitates document sharing and collaboration, allowing staff to work on the same document, or route the document through workflow. A library also tracks who borrows books. CWS-CARES content management maintains an audit trail, recording who accessed or modified documents, for better accountability. Content management is a vital part of CWS-CARES, ensuring all the crucial information within the system is organized, secure, searchable, and available.
CWS-CARES content management has 3 parts: document generation, document management, and eSignature. Learn more about these in The Three Parts of Content Management.
Originally published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.
As a library offers designated areas for group study, CWS-CARES content management facilitates document sharing and collaboration, allowing staff to work on the same document, or route the document through workflow. A library also tracks who borrows books. CWS-CARES content management maintains an audit trail, recording who accessed or modified documents, for better accountability. Content management is a vital part of CWS-CARES, ensuring all the crucial information within the system is organized, secure, searchable, and available.
CWS-CARES content management has 3 parts: document generation, document management, and eSignature. Learn more about these in The Three Parts of Content Management.
Originally published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.
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.