CARES SPOCs, Technical Contacts, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:
In preparation for CWS-CARES Production Go-Live on December 7, 2026, we request that all counties and organizations identify the net new permissions required for their users by October 30, 2026, at 1:00 PM.
We are also offering an optional opportunity for organizations to preview these net new permissions in the Production Simulation (CARES100) environment along with the data refresh scheduled for October 11, 2026. Organizations opting to participate in this early review must submit their completed spreadsheets by Friday, October 9, 2026, at 1:00 PM.
Key Deadlines & Submission Process
- Optional Early Review Deadline: Friday, October 9, 2026, at 1:00 PM
- Submitting by this date allows net new permissions to be converted and reviewed along with refreshed data in the Production Simulation (CARES100) environment.
- Note: No extensions can be granted for the optional deadline.
- Final Submission Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026, at 1:00 PM
- Submission Guidelines:
- Email submissions will not be accepted.
- Counties will use a single spreadsheet (CountyName_CARESPermission.xlsx) for both deadlines.
- Spreadsheets will be retrieved from the “CARES User Onboarding Preparation Microsoft Teams channel at 1:00 PM on October 9, 2026, for the Prod Sim (CARES100) build.
- Please use your county’s assigned template (CountyName_CARESPermission.xlsx), located in your county’s folder within the CARES User Onboarding Preparation Microsoft Teams channel. Membership in this channel is required for access.
- Child Welfare and Probation teams must use the same county or organization file.
- This request will only add NEW CARES-specific permissions and override authorities to existing CWS/CMS profiles. Refer to the New Permissions tab in the template for available options.
- Core user attributes (offices, units, caseloads, assignment desks, unit inboxes, CWS/CMS permissions, and records) will migrate automatically during data conversion. Any manual edits made to these specific fields in the template will be discarded since the source of truth is CWS/CMS.
Action Requested:
Please update and save your county’s CountyName_CARESPermission.xlsx spreadsheet in the designated Microsoft Teams channel according to the schedule below:
- Optional Production Simulation (CARES 100) Deadline: Friday, October 9, 2026 by 1PM.
- Final Submission Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026, by 1:00 PM
Formatting Instructions
- Include one user per row with First Name, Last Name, and Email Address.
- Enter only new CWS-CARES Worker permissions and override access
- Separate multiple permissions using a semicolon (;) and no spaces before or after the semicolon.
- Avoid duplicate access levels. Higher-level roles override lower ones - do not list both (e.g., Supervisor permission supersedes Worker; Read/Write override supersedes Read).
Formatting Examples
- Worker Permission: CalSAWS Readonly User;form author;RFA worker
- Override Access: AAP County-wide read;Adoption County-wide read/write
Kickoff and Office Hours Schedule
Two Permission Kickoff meetings and office hour sessions will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. To protect sensitive and production-level data, these sessions will NOT be recorded. Direct calendar invitations will not be distributed; counties and organizations should review the schedule and determine which sessions their staff should attend.
Net New Permission Kickoff Meetings:
- Session 1: Monday, September 28, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM: Join Microsoft Teams Kickoff Session 1
- Session 2: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM: Join Microsoft Teams Kickoff Session 2
Office Hours:
Office hours for the following week will be posted on the “CARES User Onboarding Preparation” Microsoft Teams channel: CARES User Onboarding Preparation | CWDS Org Share
Office Hours for September 28, 2026 – October 2, 2026
- Monday, September 28, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM: Join the Microsoft Teams Office Hours
- Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Join the Microsoft Teams Office Hours
- Thursday, October 1, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Join the Microsoft Teams Office Hours
To protect sensitive and production-level data, these sessions will NOT be recorded.
Thank you for your continued collaboration as we transition to CWS-CARES.
Please contact Customer Relations for questions.
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Security Protocols for Prod Sim Case Data
The Prod Sim environment contains converted CWS/CMS cases reflecting actual system data as of April 17, 2026. Because this includes real, sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII), all case information must be strictly protected or redacted.
To protect CWS-CARES case data, please follow these important security guidelines when working with our support teams:
- Redact Ticket Info: Do not send Protected Health Information (PHI), PII, or confidential case details to the Service Desk via email or ticket. Sensitive and confidential data cannot be stored in the ticketing system.
- Secure Screen Shares: During support-requested screen shares, limit attendees to essential personnel only. Recording of sensitive information is strictly prohibited.
- Consult for Tier 3 Transfers: If Tier 3 support needs sensitive data, use secure transmission methods. Contact your county Privacy Officer or the CWDS ISO if you need assistance with secure routing.
We appreciate your dedication to protecting the safety and privacy of vulnerable children and families while we work together to support your needs.