CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:
CARES Explorer Newsletter – September 2025
We are pleased to present the September 2025 issue of the CARES Explorer, the long‑form newsletter published each quarter! For the best experience, please open the link using the Microsoft Edge browser. This issue includes the following article topics:
Project Updates: Read a message from the director of Product and get the latest details and a sneak peek into the October 2025 Stakeholder Briefing Agenda.
Explore CWS-CARES: Learn about upcoming testing periods for CWS-CARES, information and document sharing between CWS-CARES and CalSAWS, and changes to Optimistic Concurrency in CWS‑CARES. Discover what to expect for Resource Family Approval (RFA) in CWS-CARES and the new External Systems resources available on the CWDS website.
Implementation Corner: Read about how the San Luis Obispo OCM team uses creativity to build excitement for CWS-CARES, and the latest statistics from the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop. Also, included is an update on the first user group in the CWS-CARES Sandbox.
We recommend that you share this newsletter at your discretion with staff that are impacted by the changes coming with CWS-CARES. You may also obtain all previous CARES Explorer issues on the CWDS website: CARES Compass/Explorer | Child Welfare Digital Services
If you have any questions, need clarification, or have any accessibility issues, please do not hesitate to contact Customer Relations.
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Stakeholder Briefing #4 – Reminder to Register
Register now for Stakeholder Briefing #4 on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 10AM – 12PM. All stakeholders are invited to attend this webinar to hear an update on the CWS-CARES Project. Registration is required to attend.
All webinar materials, including a recording of the session, slides, and Q&A document, will be available on the CWDS website after the session. View page 3 of the September 2025 CARES Explorer for more information on Stakeholder Briefing #4.
We look forward to your participation!
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Thank you for Shopping! The Pop-Up Shop is Now Closed
Thank you to everyone who ordered from the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop! The first shop closed on September 26, 2025, with thousands of items ordered. We are thrilled by the participation from counties and organizations across the state! We are confident these items will build excitement and enthusiasm for CWS-CARES. Check out page 6 of the September CARES Explorer for more information and statistics on the most popular items from the Pop-Up Shop.
The next Pop-Up Shop is planned for March 2026 and will feature a new selection of branded items. If you have future item suggestions, please fill out the survey: CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop: Merch Ideas.
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CWS-CARES is Coming to the 2025 CWDA Conference!
The CWS-CARES Project is excited to participate in the annual CWDA Conference on October 8-10, 2025, in Santa Clara. Visit our booth to connect with the team, explore resources, and pick up giveaways. The CWS-CARES Project will conduct a 90-minute Breakout Session and multiple demonstration viewings. Participants will have an opportunity to learn more about CWS-CARES and ask questions to Project leadership. We hope to see you there!
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Reminder: The CWS‑CARES Public Library
The CWS-CARES Public Library is designed to provide you with quick and easy access to articles about CWS‑CARES Product Features, Service Areas, Milestones, Teams & Roles, Data & Interfaces, and other important topics covered in the Explorer newsletter. On the CWS-CARES Public Library page, you can search by keyword or browse articles by category. Click on any article title to view the full text on its own page. No login is needed to access the articles; feel free to share these with your team!
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Share Your Feedback and Subscribe
Thank you for following our progress! Share your feedback on this CWS-CARES Weekly Digest here: CWS-CARES Weekly Digest Feedback Form. Subscribe to future issues here: CWS-CARES Weekly Digest Subscription Form.
Action Required
We request that all CARES Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs) and Implementation Coordinators coordinate and distribute the CARES Weekly Digest to all staff impacted by CWS-CARES, at their discretion.
CWDS Customer Relations