CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:
In this Weekly Digest:
- CWS-CARES Training Strategy: Progress Update & Next Steps
- The May 2026 Progress and Engagement Summary is Now Available
- CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 Recap | Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #8
- Introducing the CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight!
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CWS-CARES Training Strategy: Progress Update & Next Steps
Following the May 13, 2026 communication regarding the draft Training Schedule, Customer Relations distributed an update on May 22, 2026 on the CWS-CARES training strategy, current activities, and next steps. The update outlines timelines for Train-the-Trainer (TTT) and End-User Instructor-Led Training, as well as a summary of what has been completed and what is currently in progress to support county readiness ahead of the CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1) Go-Live.
The email highlights:
- Train-the-Trainer (TTT): June 15 – August 14, 2026
- End-User Instructor-Led Training: August 3 – October 9, 2026
- Role Based Training Curriculum: Currently being designed for different user roles, with completion planned for mid-June prior to TTT
- County Training Coordination: One-on-one meetings with county training coordinators are underway to build tailored training plans, with final schedule reconciliation due by June 8, 2026
For full details, refer to the email sent by Customer Relations on Thursday, May 22, 2026 at 9:35 PM PST with the subject: CWS-CARES Training Strategy: Progress Update & Next Steps – May 22, 2026.
Please contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov with any questions.
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The May 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. CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summary | May 2026 features engagement analytics for the April 2026 reporting period across the following subject areas:
- Project Communications
- Communication Effectiveness Survey #3 Results
- County Participation in Prototype and Build Reviews
- Forms and Data
- External Systems, Interfaces, and Analytics
- Implementation, OCM, and Training Activities
- Production Simulation
View all CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summaries on the CWDS website: CWS_CARES_Progress_and_Engagement_Updates.
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CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 Recap | Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #8
CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 – May 27, 2026:
Thank you to everyone who attended CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 on Wednesday, May 27, 2026! We were pleased to have 626 participants across 48 counties and over 4 partner organizations join the session live. We received 167 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 | Child Welfare Digital Services page under Stakeholder Briefing #7.
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 #8 – June 24, 2026:
Registration is now open for the next CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing! We encourage you to attend Stakeholder Briefing #8 on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. Register now. 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 impacted by the changes to CWS-CARES are welcome to attend. Updates will include:
- Project Status Update
- Preparing for Production Simulation
- Production Simulation Demo
- Training
- Organizational Change Management (OCM)
View the full agenda on the CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #8 Registration page. We hope to see you on June 24, 2026!
Please contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov with any questions.
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Introducing the CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight!
We are excited to introduce a new feature to the Weekly Digest – the CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight! Based on your feedback, each week we will highlight a CWS-CARES functionality to help you prepare for and navigate CWS-CARES, from FAQs and system functionality to tools and job aids. Be on the lookout for a new resource featured each week!
This Week’s Functionality Spotlight: Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment (Kin-GAP) Program
This week, we are spotlighting the Kin-GAP Program. On February 25, 2026, CWS-CARES shared a demonstration of Kin-GAP functionality with CalSAWS, showing how social workers can track data across the Case Management, Courts, and Placement sections in CWS-CARES, and how that data flows through FCED to the CalSAWS Eligibility Worker. The Kin-GAP scenario was also made available to EUST 3 testers on March 23, 2026, and will be provided to Production Simulation users as a training resource.
To learn more, visit the Kin-GAP Demo Highlights the Link Between CWS-CARES & CalSAWS | Child Welfare Digital Services page.
Have a question?
Send it to Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov 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 coordinate and distribute the CWS-CARES Weekly Digest to all staff impacted by CWS-CARES, at their discretion.