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
- CARES Explorer October 2026 Issue Now Available
- CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12 Recap | Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #13
- Implementation
- NEW: Introducing the Biweekly Organizational Change Management (OCM) Tips Blog
- Production Simulation
- Update: Binti Ticket Status
- It’s Time to Test SDM Assessments in Prod Sim
- Training
- Supplemental Training Kickoff – Register for Topic-Specific Training Demonstrations
- CWS-CARES Functionality
- CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: October 26, 2026
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General
System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub
Every Monday, the CWS-CARES Project publishes new System Updates and Release Notes on 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. Below is a summary of the most recent release.
CWS‑CARES Weekly Release Summary: October 19, 2026
The October 19 release delivered several corrections and improvements across the CWS-CARES system:
- 242 defect fixes improving reliability, accuracy, and overall system performance across case management, resource management, intake and investigation, and courts.
- Environment refresh completed with legacy data as of September 20, 2026.
- Multiple ServiceNow incidents resolved across 27+ counties.
- High‑level updates spanning Adoption, Permanency, and Placement, Case Management, Screening, Investigations, and Courts, Health and Education, Prevention Services, FFPSA, and Federal Reporting, Resource Family, RFA, Recruitment, and Resource Management, Shared Services, Person Search, Profiles, and Access.
- Data conversion updates across 15 major elements, including addresses, background checks, case plans, child location, court records, contact logs, documents and assessments, Family Finding, health and education, organizations, person and participant records, rates and eligibility, removal and absence, screening, and worker assignments.
- 98 county‑reported data issues resolved, with contributions from Butte, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Napa, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Ventura.
Full details for this release are available on the CWS‑CARES Production Simulation Hub.
Upcoming Release Information
System Updates & Release Notes will continue to be published every Monday. The October 26 System Updates & Release Notes will appear on the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Hub on once it is officially posted.
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CARES Explorer October 2026 Issue Now Available
We are pleased to present the Volume 3, Issue 5 of the CARES Explorer, the longform newsletter published every other month! For the best experience, please open the link using the Microsoft Edge browser. This issue includes the following topics:
Project Updates:
- CWS-CARES Go-Live Date Update & Key Steps to Prepare
Explore CWS-CARES:
- Iterative Design: How CWS-CARES Keeps Improving
- External Systems Decommissioning: A Revised Timeline for the Plan Ahead
Implementation Corner:
- Spotlight: San Diego Builds Super User Readiness through Hands-On Engagement
- It’s Not Too Late for OCM: Guidance for Preparing for Go-Live
- New and Updated OCM Resources
- Training Activities for CWS-CARES
- Now Available: New Fact Sheets on High-Interest Topics
We recommend that you share this newsletter with all staff impacted by the changes coming with CWS-CARES. All previous issues of the CARES Explorer and CARES Compass are available to view on the CWDS website: CARES Compass/Explorer | Child Welfare Digital Services.
View the articles from all issues of the CARES Explorer in the CWS-CARES Library, a searchable, sharable repository of information related to CWS-CARES. The Public Library is available on the CWDS website on the Resources for CWS-CARES Users page.
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CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12 Recap | Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #13
CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12 – October 21, 2026:
Thank you to everyone who attended CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12 on Wednesday, October 21, 2026! We were pleased to have 359 participants across 41 counties and over 4+ partner organizations join the session live. We also received 56 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 #12.
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 #13 – November 18, 2026:
Registration is now open for the next CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing! We encourage you to attend Stakeholder Briefing #13 on Wednesday, November 18, 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 are welcome to attend. Updates will include:
- Preparing for Go-Live
- Guidance for Cutover
- What to Expect on Day 1
- Implementation & Support
- CWS-CARES Help Desk
- Over the Shoulder Support
View the full agenda on CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #13: November 2026. We hope to see you on November 18, 2026!
Please contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov with any questions.
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Implementation
NEW: Introducing the Biweekly Organizational Change Management (OCM) Tips Blog
Change in child welfare isn’t just about learning a new system; it’s about supporting people as they move through the stress, uncertainty, and emotional adjustments that come with it. The new Biweekly OCM Tips blog on the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal offers short, practical guidance to help staff and OCM Coordinators navigate change in a way that feels realistic, supportive, and doable.
Each post gives space for reflection and small practices that build confidence and readiness over time, without adding extra burden to already full workloads. New posts will be released every two weeks through December, giving teams a steady rhythm of tools and reminders to help them adjust as we move toward go live.
This week’s feature: Tip #1: Honoring the Old Way, Stepping into the New
Ever wonder why letting go of familiar workflows feels harder than learning new ones? This article takes a deeper look.
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Production Simulation
Update: Binti Ticket Status
A decision has been made by the Project to begin closing open Binti support tickets. Production Simulation will begin the process of closing Binti related tickets in the near future. Users who have open ticket(s) related to Binti can expect to receive an email detailing the ticket(s) closure.
A new set of Binti data will be loaded into a testing environment in January 2027, following cleanup activities in both Binti and CWS/CMS. If you notice concerns after the January refresh, please feel free to open a new Binti related ticket at that time. Additional communication will be shared with further details regarding next steps.
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It’s Time to Test SDM Assessments in Prod Sim
With CWS-CARES Version1 (CARES V1) Go-Live less than two months away, Production Simulation (Prod Sim) now has newer data and updated functionality. Making sure SDM® assessments work correctly in CARES remains a key priority before launch.
As your county returns to the Prod Sim environment, please complete your standard CARES workflows, including SDM assessments. This testing helps confirm that everything works as expected before go-live. It’s also a chance for you to get comfortable with completing SDM assessments in CARES, which has a different user interface from WebSDM.
Evident Change is available to help with any technical or practice questions as you work through the SDM assessments. You can use the support button in the application to contact Evident Change. You can also email Evident Change Help Desk for help with technical questions and Evident Change California Projects Help Desk for SDM assessment help.
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Training
Supplemental Training Kickoff – Register for Topic-Specific Training Demonstrations
Supplemental Training begins this week and will continue through November 20, 2026. During this time, training will include:
- Micro-Learning Videos
- Targeted Instructor-Led Training (ILT) Make-Up Sessions
- Topic-Specific Training Demonstrations (Previously Virtual Training Office Hours)
Topic-Specific Training Demonstrations provide a deep dive into 15 designated topics with opportunities for live questions and answers (Q&A) with subject matter experts. Sessions are held in both the morning and afternoon through Microsoft Teams Webinars. Each webinar supports up to 150 participants per session, so please register in advance.
Registration links for Topic-Specific Demonstrations are updated on a rolling basis. Visit the Supplemental Training page weekly at 9 A.M. (on 10/28, 11/4, and 11/12) to access newly published registration links.
For more information, see the CWS-CARES Supplemental Training Update: Topics, Schedules, and Registration article on the CWDS website.
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CWS-CARES Functionality
CWS-CARES FAQ Spotlight: October 26, 2026
This week, the CWS-CARES FAQ Spotlight features the CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week.
October 26, 2026, FAQ of the Week:
Q: Will counties receive the 76 updated and approved ACLs and ACINs?
A: Although the Go-Live date has been adjusted to December 7, 2026, to allow additional time for stabilization and readiness, the Project Team is still proceeding with the planned communication schedule for All County Letters (ACLs) and All County Information Notices (ACINs). Many letters will be released on October 23, and all remaining letters will be in the process of being published on that date. However, some letters may extend further to allow time for screenshots and other content that reflects how the system will actually appear at go-live.
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 September 20, 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.