CWS-CARES Weekly Digest
CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:
In this Weekly Digest:
- General
- System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub
- Final Reminder: Two (2) Days Left to Register for CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12
- Updated: CWS-CARES High Level Roadmap
- Updated Resources on the CWS-CARES Fact Sheets, Guides, and Flyers Page
- Updated FCED Resource Now Available
- Production Simulation
- Prod Sim (CARES 100) Now Reopened with Refreshed Data
- Training
- Reminder: Train-the-Trainer (TTT) and Instructor Led Training (ILT) Parking Lot Questions Response and Review Process
- CWS-CARES Functionality
- CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: October 19, 2026
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General
System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub
As part of the planned CWS-CARES Production Simulation Data Refresh activity occurring from October 7 through October 18, the Production Simulation (Prod Sim) environment was temporarily unavailable.
Because Prod Sim was offline throughout this refresh window, the CWS‑CARES Project did not publish a release on Monday, October 12, 2026.
The October 19 System Updates & Release Notes will appear on the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Hub once it is officially posted. More details on the October 19 data refresh are available in the Production Simulation article, below.
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Final Reminder: Two (2) Days Left to Register for CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12
Thank you to the 310+ stakeholders who have already registered for the next Stakeholder Briefing on October 21, 2026! If you’ve not yet registered, we encourage you to attend the live webinar on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM. All stakeholders are welcome to attend, ask questions, and hear updates from Project leadership.
Register now at: CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12: October 2026. 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.
The full agenda for the October 2026 Stakeholder Briefing is available to view on the CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12 Registration page. Updates will include:
- Project Status Update
- Feature & Functionality Fixes
- Implementation Update
Thank you for participating in our Stakeholder Briefing webinar series! We hope to see you on October 21, 2026, to continue the conversation on the upcoming transition to CWS-CARES.
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Updated CWS-CARES High Level Roadmap
An updated CWS-CARES Planning roadmap is now available in the CWDS Roadmap page within the CWDS website. The roadmap provides a high-level overview of the project lifecycle from 2024 through 2027, including key phases and milestones as we approach the updated Version 1 (V1) Statewide Go-Live on December 7, 2026.
To view the full roadmap, please visit the CWS-CARES High Level Roadmap on the CWDS website.
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Updated Resources on the CWS-CARES Fact Sheets, Guides, and Flyers Page
The CWS-CARES Project published two updated resources in the CWS-CARES Fact Sheets, Guides, and Flyers page on the CWDS website.
CWS-CARES Resources at a Glance
An updated version of the CWS-CARES Resource Flyer is now available. This one-page resource provides an overview of key CWS-CARES resources available on the CWDS website, including:
- Demonstrations, Implementation Portal, Production Simulation Hub, and FCED & External Systems Hub
- FAQs and Glossary, Fact Sheets, Guides & Flyers, and Newsletters & Articles
- Practice & Development Environments
CWS-CARES System Modernization Infographic
An updated CWS-CARES System Modernization Infographic is now available. This resource provides a high level of overview of the system modernization features and benefits that go live on December 7, 2026. It covers:
- New Features and Benefits – Including connections across systems, modern user experience, accessibility and compliance, secure cloud storage, customizable forms, and smarter data handling
- Production Simulation – An overview of Production Simulation as a full practice environment loaded with real case data
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Updated FCED Resource Now Available
New Fact Sheet: Common Error Messages for FCED Transactions
The CWS-CARES Project Team has updated the FCED Transaction Guide - Mandatory Fields Fact Sheet to include fields required for Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) transactions. AAP fields are included on pages 8 – 14 of the fact sheet.
View the FCED Transaction Guide: Mandatory Fields fact sheet on the CARES V1 Training Quick Guides folder and the Fact Sheets, Guides and Flyers webpage on the CWDS website.
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Production Simulation
Prod Sim (CARES 100) Now Reopened with Refreshed Data
As of October 19, the Production Simulation environment (CARES 100) is now available with refreshed data. Users now have access to converted data as of September 20, 2026, including Sealed and Sensitive data, along with additional code and data fixes. The refreshed environment provides users with more current data and functionality to support continued validation closer to CARES V1 Go-Live. Review the October 19 System Updates & Release Notes on the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Hub for additional details on data and code fixes.
Snowflake Database
The Snowflake database has also been refreshed with converted data as of September 20, with updates to Sealed and Sensitive data and data conversion fixes. County Developers and Data Extract partners may continue extract development, Tableau Report development, and validation.
FCED Testing
Following the CalSAWS and Prod Sim refreshes, case links between CWS-CARES and CalSAWS have been re-established with refreshed records. CWS-CARES cases have been updated with converted data as of September 20, 2026, however, CalSAWS records reflect converted data as of September 25, 2026. CWS-CARES users can manually initiate case links for any converted Eligibility Records that were not automatically linked to active CalSAWS cases.
Prod Sim User Testing Priorities
To ensure data is accurate when CWS-CARES Go-Live, testers should prioritize CWS/CMS data validation in their Prod Sim activities until November 7, 2026. Starting November 20, Prod Sim support will end. Users access to the environment will continue, but no additional code or data fixes will be deployed after this date.
Additional details on the CWS-CARES data refresh were shared in the CWS-CARES Prod Sim (CARES100) Data Refresh and Key Readiness Dates communication on September 18, 2026. View the communication on the CWDS Bulletins.
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Training
Reminder: Train-the-Trainer (TTT) and Instructor Led Training (ILT) Parking Lot Questions Response and Review Process
Training Parking Lot questions and responses can be found on the On-Demand Training Library under the Parking Lot Responses section.
Organizations are encouraged to periodically check the Implementation Portal for updated files containing responses to submitted questions. The response file is read-only and version-controlled, allowing users to review responses and track updates by date. If a follow-up question or additional clarification is needed, users should submit a new item through the TTT Parking Lot, as previously addressed items will not be reopened.
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CWS-CARES Functionality
CWS-CARES FAQ Spotlight: October 19, 2026
This week, the CWS-CARES FAQ Spotlight features the CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week.
October 19, 2026, FAQ of the Week:
Q: What updates can you provide regarding improvements to Case Plan functionality, given the current limitations caused by requiring the CANS to be completed first?
A: The Project suspended the rule requiring a Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment prior to a Case Plan completion, enabling users to either pre‑populate needs from an approved CANS or manually enter needs when a CANS is not yet completed.
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 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 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.