In this Weekly Digest:
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General
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CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #9 Recap | Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #10
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The July 2026 Progress and Engagement Summary is Now Available
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Forms
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Action Required: CWS-CARES County Specific Conversion Validation Due August 7
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Implementation
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What is New on the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal
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Happening Now: CWS-CARES Train-the-Trainer Program
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Upcoming Super User Readiness Meeting Kickoff
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Production Simulation
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System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub
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CWS-CARES Functionality
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CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: July 27, 2026
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General
CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #9 Recap | Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #10
CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #9 – July 22, 2026:
Thank you to everyone who attended CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #9 on Wednesday, July 22, 2026! We were pleased to have 443 participants across 45 counties and over 4+ partner organizations join the session live. We also received several questions during the session, which we are working to answer and share with you as soon as possible.
The session recording is now available on the Stakeholder Webinar Materials page under Stakeholder Briefing #9.
Please log in with your county or organization email address to view the recording. An accessible PDF of the presentation slides and a summary of the session Q&A will be available in the coming weeks in the same location.
CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #10 – August 26, 2026:
Registration is now open for the next CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing! We encourage you to attend Stakeholder Briefing #10 on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Register now. Note: A separate calendar invitation will not be sent by the CWS-CARES Project. Please manually add the .ics attachment (which is a digital calendar file format) in the registration confirmation email to your calendar.
All stakeholders impacted by the changes to CWS-CARES are welcome to attend. 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
View the full agenda on CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #10: August 2026. We hope to see you on August 26, 2026!
Please contact Customer Relations with any questions.
The July 2026 Progress and Engagement Summary is Now Available
The CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summaries provide a concise overview of the collaborative efforts and achievements of CWS-CARES. The July Progress and Engagement Summary features engagement analytics for the June 2026 reporting period across the following subject areas:
- CWS-CARES Communications
- Stakeholder Briefing #8 – June 2026
- Forms and Data
- External Systems, Interfaces, and Analytics
- Implementation, OCM, and Training
- Production Simulation
- Resources Available on the CWDS Website
View all CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summaries on the CWDS website: CWS_CARES_Progress and Engagement_Updates.
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Forms
Action Required: CWS-CARES County Specific Conversion Validation Due August 7
The CWS-CARES Project distributed an important email communication on July 22, 2026, regarding the validation of county-specific forms currently being converted from Word into Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) templates. Vendor support for forms developed under the current IBM engagement concludes on August 7, 2026. Beyond this date, the project team will not have vendor resources available to make edits, corrections, or adjustments to your forms.
All form validations must be completed no later than August 7, 2026. Any forms that remain unvalidated after this date will be deemed accepted as-is.
For full details, refer to the CWS-CARES County Specific Forms – Conversion Validation Due August 7, 2026 communication on the CWDS website.
Please contact the County Forms Conversion mailbox with any questions.
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ImplementationWhat is New on the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal
The CWS-CARES Project is pleased to announce new updates to the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal. The updates are designed to make it easier for Counties, Probation Organizations, and Tribes with Title IV-E agreements to locate important resources that support the Organizational Change Management (OCM) and Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) implementation activities. Updates include:
OCM Advisory Workgroup (OCMAW) Member List – The OCMAW was recently expanded to include all OCM Coordinators and two Super Users from each Organization. You may access this list within the CWS-CARES OCM page.
Business Process Re-engineering Page – A new CWS-CARES BPR page is available within the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal. This page provides an overview of BPR and its role in supporting the CWS-CARES implementation. Downloadable resources include the Operational Alignment Session (OAS) Slides and other session materials. BPR Process Maps will soon be available.
New OCM Resources – Two new resources are now available on the CWS-CARES OCM Resources page within the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal:
- Change Impacts: The Change Impacts resource provides a summary of changes to help Organizations assess how CWS-CARES may affect current operations and staff.
- Terminology Crosswalk: The Terminology Crosswalk explains new and changing terms from Child Welfare Services/Case Management System to CWS-CARES.
Note: Both OCM Resource documents include an ‘as of’ date and will be periodically updated based on updates to business processes, product enhancements, demos, and testing efforts.
For more information, visit the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal.
Happening Now: CWS-CARES Train-the-Trainer Program
Train-the-Trainer (TTT) is now underway! Beginning on July 20, 2026 and continuing through August, designated representatives from all participating organizations are coming together to deliver end user training for their teams. During these sessions, participants learn the curriculum, facilitation methods, and training materials they will use to support staff throughout implementation.
TTT and Instructor-Lead Training
It is important to note that TTT is separate from Instructor-Lead Training (ILT). County staff identified for TTT will serve as Facilitators or Support staff to learn the curriculum ahead of other country users so that they are able to support CWS-CARES trainers in ILT delivery. Facilitators will lead and teach training independently, while Support staff will attend ILT to assist CWS-CARES trainers in delivery. All staff will participate in their own ILT between August and October 2026, which will focus on system functionality, workflows, and hands-on practice.
Upcoming Super User Readiness Meeting Kickoff
The CWS-CARES Project is excited to announce that the Super User Readiness Meetings are kicking off on August 4, 2026, and will continue on a biweekly cadence. These dedicated sessions are designed to help Super Users become proficient in CWS-CARES, building both Organizational Change Management (OCM) and system proficiency to support their role beyond simply learning the system.
About the Super User Role
Super Users are Subject Matter Experts who bridge the gap between the technical system and daily operations during and post-Go-Live. Key expectations include:
- Acting as “knowledge holders” for future state processes.
- Surfacing pain points and escalating issues when needed.
- Providing hands-on troubleshooting and functional guidance.
What to Expect in Super User Readiness Meetings
Sessions will focus on workflow readiness, system and troubleshooting guidance, and preparations for CWS-CARES implementation and post-go-live support. Topics are targeted to build tactical readiness of Super Users to provide localized peer support to their organizations as we approach Go-Live.
A Super User Readiness page for the Implementation Portal is currently underway. We look forward to supporting Super Users as they prepare to provide critical support to their organizations.
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Production Simulation
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. Within the Production Simulation page, users can select System Updates & Release Notes from the left bar menu. The System Updates and Release Notes page is a centralized location that provides the latest system updates and release notes in one place.
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CWS-CARES Functionality
CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: July 27, 2026
This week, the CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight July 27, 2026 FAQ of the Week:
Q: Why does CWS-CARES deactivate accounts when they have not been used or accessed after 90 days?
A: It is California State policy using National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-53 rev5 guidelines, that account usage be monitored and disable accounts where the user has not logged into the CWS-CARES system for more than 90 days. This policy helps us maintain the data integrity and security of the system. For instance, this policy helps to prevent users who may have left a department, but whose accounts might not have been disabled by that department, from logging in to the system.
The County and Office Administrator will be able to reactivate that user when their account has become disabled.
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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Action Required: We request that all CWS-CARES Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs) and Implementation Coordinators coordinate and 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 17th; because this includes real, sensitive 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 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.