CWS-CARES Weekly Digest
CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:
In this Weekly Digest (click the link for more information):
- General
- System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub
- One Week Left to Purchase from the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop!
- Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #12 | CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #11 Recap
- Reminder: Go-Live Support Plans Due September 30, 2026
- New Fact Sheet Now Available: An Introduction to County Forms Development and Conversion
- The September 2026 Progress and Engagement Summary is Now Available
- Training
- CWS-CARES Probation Training Now Eligible for STC Credit
- Implementation
- New Resource Posted: CWS-CARES BPR Delta Session Q&A
- New OCM Resource: Leadership Toolkit
- CWS-CARES Functionality
- CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: September 28, 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: September 21, 2026
The September 21 release delivered several corrections and improvements across the CWS-CARES system:
- 110 defect fixes improving reliability, accuracy, and user experience across case management, resource management, intake and investigation, and courts.
- Multiple ServiceNow incidents resolved across Santa Clara, Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sonoma, Placer, Kings, San Joaquin, Mendocino, and others.
- High‑level updates across Adoption, Permanency, and Placement, Case Management, Screening, Investigations, and Courts, Prevention Services, FFPSA, and Federal Reporting, Resource Family, RFA, Recruitment, and Resource Management, Shared Services, Person Search, Profiles, and Access
- 27 data conversion fixes addressing absence records, allegations and dispositions, child location, court work items, organization details, persons, collateral, and attendees, presumptive transfer dates, rate records, removal information, team meetings, and unit‑member values.
- 9 county‑reported data issues resolved from Humboldt, Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, Sonoma, Santa Clara, and San Diego.
Full details for last week’s 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 September 28 System Updates & Release Notes will appear on the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Hub on once it is officially posted.
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One Week Left to Purchase from the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop!
There’s still time to order from the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #3! The shop will remain open until end of day on Friday, October 2, 2026. Place your orders at: CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #3 | Order Now.
Currently, only the Curvaceous Matte Silver Ballpoint pen has met the minimum order total required for production. The Gildan Ultra Cotton T-Shirt and Non-Woven Tote Bag are close to meeting the required minimums. We encourage all stakeholders to consider making a purchase before October 2 to build excitement for CWS-CARES. Items that do not meet the minimum totals will be removed from orders and not charged.
The shop is open to all 58 California counties, Tribes, and partner organizations. CWS-CARES branded items are available for purchase using your own funds. For ordering and shipping details, please reference the Pop Up Shop 3 FAQs and Item Selection flyer.
Please contact CWDS Customer Relations with any questions. Happy shopping!
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Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #12 | CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #11 Recap
CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #11 – September 23, 2026:
Thank you to everyone who attended CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #11 on Wednesday, September 23, 2026! We were pleased to have 336 participants across 42 counties and over 4+ partner organizations join the session live. We also received 52 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 #11.
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 #12 – October 21, 2026:
Registration is now open for the next CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing! We encourage you to attend Stakeholder Briefing #12 on Wednesday, October 21, 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
- Project Status Update
- Implementation Update
- Feature & Functionality Fixes
View the full agenda on CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12: October 2026. We hope to see you on October 21, 2026!
Please contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov with any questions.
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Reminder: Go-Live Support Plans Due September 30, 2026
A reminder that Organization Go‑Live Support Plans are due on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Implementation Teams are asked to review the Go Live Support Plan template provided by their Implementation Lead and complete any required customization.
What’s Needed:
- Open and review the template shared by your Implementation Lead
- Customize the plan to reflect your organization’s structure, local processes, and staffing
- Establish clear Tier 1 support coverage for Day 1 of CWS-CARES Go Live
- Confirm points of contact, escalation pathways, and local support roles
Why This Matters:
Each organization needs a clear, prepared support model in place, so staff are fully supported on Day 1 of CWS-CARES.
Need Help?
Your Implementation Lead is available to answer questions and assist with any customization needs.
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New Fact Sheet Now Available: An Introduction to County Forms Development and Conversion
The CWS-CARES Project Team has released a new fact sheet providing an introductory guide to County Forms Development and Conversion in CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1). The fact sheet provides an overview of the forms migration process and key information to support county readiness ahead of Go-Live.
The fact sheet covers the following topics:
- Building Forms: All forms and reports required for business processes will be developed by November 13, 2026. The Project recommends using Production Simulation (CARES100) to build and test forms against real, converted data. Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is the recommended tool for building and editing forms in CWS-CARES.
- Validating Forms: Available forms should be validated before Go-Live to ensure they are ready for county use. County Forms Authors and Prod Sim users are encouraged to practice using and reviewing forms against converted data in Prod Sim.
- Migrating Forms: Once forms are developed and validated in Prod Sim, counties determine which forms are ready for production. The Project will then migrate those forms to CARES V1.
- Maintaining and Updating Forms After Go-Live: The Project will release additional statewide forms periodically after CARES V1 Go-Live, with counties participating in testing phases coordinated by the Project.
For more information, please see the Introduction to Forms Conversion and Validation in CWS-CARES resource on the CWDS website.
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The September 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 September Progress and Engagement Summary features engagement analytics for the August 2026 reporting period across the following subject areas:
- CWS-CARES Communications
- Stakeholder Briefing #10 – August 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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Training
CWS-CARES Probation Training Now Eligible for STC Credit
The CWS-CARES Project is pleased to share that the CWS-CARES Probation Instructor-Led Training (ILT) is now certified for Standards and Training Corrections (STC) credit through the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC). The STC certification number is 09401669, and the training is approved for 8 hours of STC credit.
Probation ILT began September 21 and runs daily through October 20. Probation staff are encouraged to register and participate in these sessions to build familiarity with CWS-CARES while earning STC credit.
For full details, including CACWT account creation instructions and how to confirm access to the Training Environment (CARES104), visit the CWS-CARES: Probation Training Now Eligible for STC Credit article within the CWDS page.
Please contact the CWS-CARES Training mailbox for questions.
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Implementation
New Resource Posted: CWS-CARES BPR Delta Session Q&A
Thank you to all Organizations that participated in the CWS‑CARES Business Process Re‑engineering (BPR) Delta Sessions. We truly appreciate your engagement, openness, and your willingness to explore the Change Impacts.
During these sessions, participants raised a number of thoughtful questions and sought clarification on several statewide business change impacts. In response, the Implementation Team collaborated with Service Managers, County Consultants, and SMEs to gather responses to the questions gathered during the sessions.
We are pleased to share that the BPR Delta Sessions – Consolidated Q&A file is now available on the CWS-CARES Implementation/Organizational Change Management Portal under the Business Process Re-engineering Session Materials section. This resource compiles responses across both the All Change Impacts and Probation tabs of the worksheet and is designed to support Organizations as they review upcoming changes and begin internal readiness conversations.
What’s Included:
- A consolidated set of Q&A from all Delta Session follow‑ups
- Clarifications on statewide workflow assumptions and operational impacts
- Additional context to support Change Impact worksheet review and local planning
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New OCM Resource: Leadership Toolkit
We are excited to announce that the CWS-CARES Leadership Toolkit has been published on the CWS-CARES Organizational Change Management (OCM) page, within the Implementation Portal. This comprehensive resource is designed to support leaders through every step of the CWS-CARES transition. It provides practical tools, conversation guides, and support resources to help teams successfully navigate and adopt organizational changes resulting from the implementation of CWS-CARES Version 1.
Please Note: A few questions remain outstanding. As additional information becomes available, the document will be updated and reposted on the implementation portal.
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CWS-CARES Functionality
CWS-CARES FAQ Spotlight: September 28, 2026
This week, the CWS-CARES FAQ Spotlight features the CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week.
September 28, 2026, FAQ of the Week:
Q: For Self-Paced courses, will Organizations determine who will take which learning path?
A: The Learning Paths include recommendations on which users, based on permissions, should take which Self-Paced courses. The Organizations will make the final determination on who from their Organization needs to take which courses.
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.