CARES SPOCs, CARES Technical Contacts, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:
- General
- Now Available: 75+ Frequently Asked Questions on the CWDS FAQ Page
- Coming Soon: CWS-CARES Help Desk
- Registration Now Open for Stakeholder Briefing #10
- Coming August 24, 2026: The CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #3
- Implementation
- See What’s Newly Rolled Out on the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal
- Training
- New Location for Training Materials and Updated Facilitator Guides
- CWS-CARES Training Environment (CARES 104) Housekeeping Rule
- Technical Updates
- CWS-CARES Data Dictionary Version 0.12 Now Available
- Production Simulation
- System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub
- CWS-CARES Functionality
- CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: August 10, 2026
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Now Available: 75+ Frequently Asked Questions on the CWDS FAQ Page
The CWS-CARES Project recently uploaded 75+ new FAQs to the CWDS Frequently Asked Questions page on August 4, 2026. These FAQs are drawn from questions recently responded to (within the last year) and cover a range of CWS-CARES topics. The new FAQs are organized into updated categories and tagged by meetings or forums for easier searching.
Coming Soon: CWS-CARES Help Desk
The current support model is changing. Counties currently use multiple support channels depending on the system or type of issue, including the CWS/CMS Help Desk, CARES-Live RFA Help Desk, Production Simulation Support and Office Hours, and individual project teams. As we approach Go-Live, these channels will be brought together under a centralized CWS-CARES Help Desk, providing a single point of entry for questions and issues, faster response times, and a consistent process for tracking issues through resolution.
Please note that county support routing will vary by implementation model. Coexistent counties will continue to have Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs) coordinate initial support and routing, while non-coexistent counties will receive support directly through the CWS-CARES Support Model.
Registration Now Open for Stakeholder Briefing #10
We encourage you to attend the next CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing on Wednesday, August 26, 2026! Register now at: CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #10 | Registration. Note: A separate calendar invitation will not be sent by the CWS-CARES Project. Please manually add the .ics attachment in the registration confirmation email to your calendar.
All stakeholders are welcome to attend, ask questions, and hear updates from Project leadership. The full agenda for the August 2026 Stakeholder Briefing is available to view on the CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #10 | Registration page. Updates will include:
- Preparing for Go-Live
- Project Status Update
- Go-Live Readiness
- What to expect
- Q&A
- Implementation and Training
- Q&A
- Production Simulation
- Q&A
Thank you for participating in our Stakeholder Briefing webinar series! We hope to see you on August 26, 2026 to continue the conversation on the upcoming transition to CWS-CARES.
Please contact Customer Relations with any questions.
Coming August 24, 2026: The CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #3
The CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop is returning with a brand-new selection of items! All 58 California counties, Tribes, State partners, and public agencies will be able to purchase CWS-CARES branded merchandise online at the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #3 between Monday, August 24 and Friday, September 11.
During this limited-time window, stakeholders will have the opportunity to purchase CWS-CARES–branded items using their own funds. The shop will feature a variety of new items, including apparel, stationery, mugs, accessories, and more. Additional details, ordering information, and a preview of the items offered will be shared in the CWS-CARES Weekly Digest, ahead of the Pop-Up Shop grand opening on August 24.
View a preview of the items offered on the 081026_Pop-up Shop 3 Flyer
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See What’s Newly Rolled Out on the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal
The CWS-CARES Implementation Portal will continue to evolve with new resources, tools, and information to support Organizations throughout implementation. We’ve added two important updates under the CWS-CARES Organizational Change Management Team Links section:
1. Super User Readiness Page Launched
A dedicated Super User Readiness page has been created to serves as the hub for all meeting materials related to the Super User program. This includes session minutes, slide decks, and recordings, each of which will be posted within a day after every session.
The first session took place on 8/4, and materials from the kickoff meeting are now available on the new page.
2. New Process Maps Added
Several new process maps have been uploaded to the Business Process Re-engineering page to support teams in understanding workflows and key transitions on the following service areas:
- Adoptions
- Financial Management
- Intake
- Case Management - Engagement
- Courts - Court Hearings
- Courts - Warrants and Jurisdiction and Disposition Hearings
- Courts - Status Review
- Courts - Other Hearings
- Resource Management
Process maps will continue to be added over the coming weeks as they are finalized.
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New Location for Training Materials and Updated Facilitator Guides
Training materials for CWS-CARES have moved to a new, more accessible location. All resources, including Instructor-Led Training (ILT) materials, Train the Trainer (TTT) resources, and training videos are now posted on the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal. These materials are publicly accessible and no longer require signing in to a CWDS account. This change was made to increase ease of access, improve consistency, and support for trainers and users statewide.
As part of this transition, updated versions of several Facilitator Guides were posted to ensure all training materials remain current, consistent, and aligned with the latest information. These updates reflect recent enhancements, incorporate trainer feedback, clarify instructions where needed, and strengthen support for delivering training effectively. Updates to Facilitator Guides will continue regularly as system update(s) are made and feedback from training sessions is incorporated.
The following Facilitator Guides have been updated and are now available on the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal:
- Admin Console
- Screenings & Referrals
- Courts
- Resource Family Approval
- Placement
- Case Management Services
- Eligibility
- Adoptions
- Prevention Services (Family First Prevention Services Act)
Trainers who use these guides in upcoming TTT sessions should download the latest versions to ensure they are using the most current and accurate content.
ILT materials are also currently available on the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal, and the training team is actively uploading additional resources. Please note that when updates are made to Facilitator Guides for TTT, those updates will also be incorporated into the corresponding ILT Training Guides.
CWS-CARES Training Environment (CARES 104) Housekeeping Rule
As part of Instructor Led Training (ILT), users will have access to a dedicated CWS-CARES training environment (CARES 104) that mirrors key system functionality. Users will receive access through two system-generated onboarding emails. This space is designed for hands on practice during scheduled sessions so everyone can learn without affecting real data.
A quick reminder: please use the training environment (CARES 104) only during your scheduled ILT sessions. Accessing it outside these timeframes can unintentionally create data issues or interfere with other users’ learning activities. If you’d like to practice and prepare for ILTs please use the Production Simulation environment (CARES 100) to complete On-Demand Enablement modules.
The one exception is for individuals participating in Train-the-Trainer (TTT) activities, who may need additional time in the environment to prepare materials and become fully comfortable with the system or if they don’t have access to CARES 104 and need to complete enablement modules.
If you have questions reach out to your CWS-CARES training coordinator. If you have any issues accessing the training environments, contact the Production Simulation mailbox for your region.
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CWS-CARES Data Dictionary Version 0.12 Now Available
CWS-CARES Data Dictionary V0.12 is now available on the Microsoft Teams Channel: CARES Data Dictionary under Shared as of Monday, August 10th. Check the Intro tab of the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary for the detailed list of updates included in the new version.
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System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub
Every Monday, the CWS-CARES Project releases new System Updates and Release Notes. Users can find the latest System Updates and Release Notes by visiting the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Hub on the CWDS website. All published updates are located on the System Updates & Release Notes tab in the left navigation bar.
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CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: August 10, 2026
This week, the CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight features the CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week.
August 10, 2026, FAQ of the Week:
Q: I was wondering if Snapshot, Facilities, and Child and Adolescent Needs Strengths (CANS) Assessments will be unavailable once CWS-CARES goes live? If so, will that website be deactivated? Any information would be helpful.
A: Upon the launch of CWS-CARES, the following details will be converted and available in CWS-CARES:
- CARES-Live Snapshot data: Migrated from CWS/CMS.
To view all of the CWS-CARES FAQs, please visit the CWDS website: CWS-CARES FAQs | CWDS Website.
Have a question? Send it to Customer Relations and we will be happy to help.
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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.
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Action Required: We request that all CWS-CARES Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs) and Implementation Coordinators distribute the CWS-CARES Weekly Digest to all staff impacted by CWS-CARES, at their discretion.
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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.