CARES SPOCs, Technical Contacts, Data Quality Contacts, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:
As we continue preparations for our upcoming Go-Live, we are announcing that comprehensive performance testing is scheduled to be conducted in the CWS-CARES Production Simulation (Prod Sim - CARES 100) environment on Monday, November 23, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Testers with current Prod Sim access can join and execute tasks in Prod Sim throughout the day, and no formal signups are needed to participate. CWDA is planning to coordinate with Child Welfare counties prior to November 23, 2026, to help align participation.
Performance testing will evaluate how the system performs under realistic traffic and measure how many counties can work in the system simultaneously. Because our goal is to maximize concurrent volume across different transaction types, there is no limit on the number of testers—we encourage as many participants as possible to join including counties, Probation, and tribal staff.
Participating testers may perform simulated day-to-day operational actions during the active test window which could include doing core work under concurrent high-traffic conditions, entering and updating data to measure database responsiveness, and searches to evaluate system query performance.
We sincerely appreciate all staff willing to participate in this vital readiness activity to help strengthen the stability and performance of CWS-CARES.
Action Required
Please share this with all staff impacted by this information.
Please contact Customer Relations for questions.
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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.
Please contact the Customer Relations mailbox for questions.