CARES SPOCs, CARES Technical Contacts, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:
To continually improve system performance and resolve known issues, we are establishing a weekly maintenance and update schedule for the CWS- CARES Production Simulation (Prod Sim) - CARES100 and Data Conversion Validation (DCVal) - CARES105 environments.
Please review the schedule and potential system impacts below:
Weekly Maintenance Schedule
- Start Time: Every Friday starting at 5:00 PM
- Code Deployment & Testing: Scheduled to be completed by Saturday at 8:00 AM
- Data Fixes: If urgent data updates are required, they may be processed throughout the day on Saturday, depending on priority.
- Please Note: This standard weekly maintenance window specifically applies to the CARES100 and CARES105 environments. If updates are required for any other CWS-CARES environments, we will communicate their specific schedules and system availability details when they are determined.
What to Expect (System Impacts)
While the CARES100 and CARES105 environments will remain accessible, you may experience minor performance impacts during this Friday night to Saturday maintenance window, including:
- Slower system response times.
- Intermittent issues with search functionality.
- To keep users informed, a system banner will be displayed in the environments starting every Thursday to alert counties of the maintenance window. This banner will be removed once the maintenance is complete.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to keep our systems running smoothly and efficiently.
Action Required
Please share this communication with staff who utilize these environments so they are aware of the weekly maintenance schedule and potential system impacts.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------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.