CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribal Leadership, Probation Leadership, State Leadership, and OCM Coordinators:
We are pleased to share the CARES Explorer – June 2025 issue, the newsletter for staying up to date on the CWS-CARES project.
This communication is sent directly to our key stakeholders for project communications: County, Tribe, Probation, and State leadership, CARES Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs), and Organization Implementation Coordinators.
The June 2025 issue contains information on:
Project Updates: Learn about the Child Welfare Systems Branch and new changes to Letters and Notices at CDSS. Get a sneak peak of our upcoming Stakeholder Briefing Webinar on June 25, 2025. You’ll also find information on a new resource: the CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summary.
CWS-CARES: This issue highlights how the Project partners with Tribes with Title IV-E agreements with CDSS to shape CWS-CARES. It also includes a summary of our findings and highlights from our recent Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) 2 period, and an overview of the feedback received on the interface between CWS-CARES and CalSAWS. We share an overview of the Court Hearing Framework, which details some new features that will be included in CWS-CARES. In this issue, you will learn about how the Project is helping to make State and County Forms work more efficient, and the upcoming training available for Forms Authors. We also share more information on the collaborative Decommissioning Planning effort by Counties and the Project and announce a new meeting series dedicated to External Systems.
Implementation: Discover how Sacramento County has created an intranet site, complete with project resources, flyers, and videos, to build enthusiasm for CWS-CARES. Learn more about the recent Intake Process Information Sessions and changes to Intake from CWS/CMS to CWS-CARES. We are excited to share the selection of the Pilot Counties and Alternates, as well as an update on the Sandbox Environment. You will also find information on the CWS-CARES Super User program, including the dates of upcoming Orientation sessions in each region.
We recommend that you share this newsletter at your discretion with staff that are impacted by the changes coming with CWS-CARES.
The CARES Explorer – June 2025 issue is now available here: The CARES Explorer Vol 2, Issue 2
You may also obtain all CARES Explorer issues on the CWDS website: CARES Compass/Explorer | Child Welfare Digital Services
If you have any questions, need clarification, or have any accessibility issues, please do not hesitate to contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@osi.ca.gov.
Action Required
We request that all CARES Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs) and Implementation Coordinators coordinate and distribute the CARES Explorer Newsletter to all staff impacted by CWS-CARES at their discretion.
The CARES Explorer Newsletter – June 2025 Issue
If unable to find a specific Bulletin, please contact Communications.