CWDS Bulletins

CWS/CMS: CDT Service Desk Bulletin – Windows Monthly Patching | April 17, 2026 8PM - April 18, 2026 1PM

ALL SPOCs, Technical Contacts and CAD Contacts:

The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled monthly Microsoft security patching. The patching begins on Friday, April 17, 2026, at 8:00 PM and concludes on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 1:00 AM. The activity will cause interruptions to the Business Objects (BO) servers within the patching window, potentially causing some BO reports to fail to send, or automated scripts may fail to retrieve.

Action Required

Review scheduled BO reports and reschedule report jobs to avoid the scheduled maintenance window. Rerun the missed report jobs, if necessary.

Contact the IBM Help Desk (800-428-8268) to report any issues with your Business Objects content.

CWS/CMS: CDT Service Desk Bulletin - SAFE Cloud Service Scheduled Maintenance - March 28, 2026 | 8PM - March 29, 2026 | 2AM

ALL SPOCs, Technical Contacts and CAD Contacts:

The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled maintenance of the SAFE Cloud service. The maintenance begins on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 8:00 PM and concludes on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 2:00 AM. The activity will cause interruptions in the SAFE Cloud service. Some Business Objects (BO) reports will fail to send, or automated scripts may fail to retrieve from SAFE during this scheduled maintenance.
 

Action Required

All users should logoff of the SAFE Cloud service prior to the start of the stated maintenance timeframe. Please check on your scheduled BO SAFE reports and automated FTP scripts. If needed, re-run the reports and scripts.

Contact the IBM Help Desk (800-428-8268) to report any issues with your Business Objects content in SAFE.

REMINDER: CWS-CARES Production Transition to RFA Greenfield - March 19, 2026 | 5PM - 8PM

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts: 

March 16, 2026 UPDATE: This is a reminder that there is a CWS-CARES RFA outage window scheduled for Thursday, March 19, 2026. Beginning at 5:00 PM and concluding at 8:00 PM, the RFA Greenfield production environment will be unavailable while it transitions to a secure FedRAMP (Okta) environment.

After the transition activities, users should clear their web browser cache before logging in to the Okta RFA Greenfield production environment. For guidance on how to clear the web browser cache for Chrome or Edge, please follow the steps provided here: Clear cache & cookies - Computer - Google Account Help

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Over the past half-year, we have actively coordinated and worked with the various stakeholder organizations to perform the transition to a secure FedRAMP IAM (Okta) environment, which has been completed and operational in the CWS-CARES non-production environment. Now, we are ready to perform this transition for the current CWS-CARES RFA Greenfield production environment.

As some of the cutover activities require coordination with stakeholder organizations, we will be requesting for your IT team’s support to execute specific tasks on your systems. A separate communication addressed to the designated SPOC and technical representative will specify the required actions and schedule, which will be provided closer to the transition date.

We recently engaged with your organization during a preliminary meeting and discussed timeline, availability, and outcomes of this transition. During that discussion, no concerns were raised from your organization if we conduct the transition activities in the upcoming weeks.

The date for this transition cutover from non-FedRAMP to FedRAMP IAM environment is scheduled for Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. During this time, the RFA Greenfield production environment will be unavailable.

Action Required

After the transition activities, users should clear their web browser cache before logging in to the Okta RFA Greenfield production environment. For guidance on how to clear the web browser cache for Chrome or Edge, please follow the steps provided here: Clear cache & cookies - Computer - Google Account Help

CWS-CARES Weekly Digest - March 16, 2026

CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:

In this Weekly Digest:

  • Reminder: Communication Effectiveness Survey #3
  • Reminder: Register for Stakeholder Briefing #6 on March 25, from 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
  • CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #2: Full Item Preview and FAQs
  • CWS-CARES Core Constituent Demonstrations
  • CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) of the Week

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Reminder: Communication Effectiveness Survey #3

Share your experience in the third annual CWS-CARES Communication Effectiveness Survey, which will remain open through Friday, March 20, 2026. The annual Communication Effectiveness Survey helps us understand what’s working and what could be improved with project communications. Your honest feedback is greatly valued. 

 Take the survey here to share your feedback: CWS-CARES Communication Effectiveness Survey #3The survey is confidential, anonymous, and takes approximately three (3) to five (5) minutes to complete

 Please forward the survey link to other CWS-CARES users who may wish to provide feedback on CWS-CARES communications.  

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Reminder: Register for Stakeholder Briefing #6 on March 25, from 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon

You are invited to register for the next CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing, now scheduled for March 25, 2026, from 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon. Please share the registration link and instructions in this email to any staff that might be interested in attending. 

Register here to reserve your spotStakeholder Briefing #6 - March 25, 2026 | Registration. Registration is required to attend. Please note: a calendar invitation for Stakeholder Briefing #6 will not be sent from the CWS-CARES Project. After registering, you must manually add the .ics file included in the registration confirmation email to your calendar.  

 Session Agenda

All stakeholders are welcome to attend the CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing series and engage directly with our project team. At Stakeholder Briefing #6, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and hear updates on: 

  • CWS-CARES Readiness from our Executive Leadership Team 
  • CWS-CARES Production Simulation 
  • Forms and Reports 
  • A pre-recorded demonstration of the Health and Education Passport (HEP) 

View the full agenda and register for the session on the Stakeholder Briefing #6 - March 25, 2026 | Registration page. 

If you require any accommodations to attend this webinar, such as an ASL interpreter, please notify CWDS Customer Relations at: CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov at least one week in advance, or as soon as possible. 

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CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #2: Full Item Preview and FAQs

Show your support for CWS-CARES at Pop-Up Shop #2! From March 30 – April 17, 2026, all 58 California counties, Tribes, and partner organizations will have an opportunity to purchase CWS-CARES branded items using their own funds.  

The full preview of all items offered, along with pricing and shipping details, item descriptions, and purchasing FAQs is now available on the CWS-CARES Public Library: CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #2: Coming Soon! | Child Welfare Digital Services

The link to the online shop will be shared in the March 30, 2026, CWS-CARES Weekly Digest. 

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CWS-CARES Core Constituent Demonstrations

Here is a quick look at the CWS-CARES Core Constituent Demonstrations from the previous and upcoming two weeks. These demonstrations give counties and partners a chance to see key features in action, learn what is new or coming soon, and share feedback that helps shape ongoing improvements to CWS-CARES.

View all the previous Product Demonstrations on the CWDS website: CWS-CARES Product Demonstrations. Please note, a log in is required to view all recordings.

CWS-CARES Core Constituent Demonstrations Held March 9 - 13, 2026:

·       No CWS-CARES Core Constituent Demonstrations were held between March 9 – 13, 2026.

Upcoming CWS-CARES Core Constituent Demonstrations: * 

  • No CWS-CARES Core Constituent Demonstrations are currently planned between March 16 – 31, 2026. 

*Please note that dates for CWS-CARES Demonstrations shared here are subject to change. Please check the CWDS Meeting and Event Calendar for the most up-to-date schedule.

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CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) of the Week

Each week, we highlight a common question from counties and partners, along with a clear, practical answer to help you better understand CWS-CARES functionality.

March 16, 2026 FAQ of the Week:

Q: Will the CWS/CMS servers be removed from the premises after CWS-CARES V1 goes live for Dedicated Counties?

A: The current servers will stay post CWS-CARES. These servers are the counties’ DHCP/File/Print/Utility servers used to access CWDS state resources and is separate from the CWS/CMS application. At this time, there is no plan to remove any servers for all dedicated counties that have a server.

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 at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov 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.

CDT: Service Desk Bulletin – CWDS SOC Mainframe LPAR z/OS 3.1 Upgrade

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

Forwarding this bulletin as a “For Your Information” communication only, for CWS/CMS.  There is no expected outage for CWS/CMS due to all of the CWS/CMS users rolling over to the SOCP mainframe LPAR during the maintenance window.

CARES-Live access will be impacted by this upgrade, from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM, on March 21, 2026, while the California Department of Technology (CDT) performs the upgrade.

The CDT has scheduled maintenance on Saturday, March 21, 2026, beginning at 1:00 PM and concluding at 9:00 PM. During the maintenance window, CDT will upgrade the CWDS SOC mainframe LPAR operating system to version 3.1. The SOC system will be unavailable during the maintenance window; however, all CWS/CMS users will roll over to the other production LPAR, SOCP.

CARES-Live will not be available from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM while the upgrade is occurring on the SOC mainframe LPAR. CARES-Live is located solely on the SOC LPAR; CARES-Live users will not be able to roll over to the SOCP LPAR.

Action Required

CWS/CMS Users
If users experience any issues with CWS/CMS, please follow your county process for reporting issues or you may contact the IBM Boulder Help Desk at 1-800-428-8268.

CARES-Live Users
If users experience any issues with the CARES-Live, please follow your county process for reporting issues. CARES-Live County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at Servicedesk@cwds.ca.gov during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.

CDT Service Desk Bulletin – CWDS SOCP Mainframe LPAR z/OS 3.1 Upgrade

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

Forwarding this bulletin as a “For Your Information” communication only. There is no expected outage due to all of the CWS/CMS users rolling over to the SOC mainframe LPAR during the maintenance window.

CARES-Live access will not be impacted by this upgrade.

The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled maintenance on Sunday, March 29, 2026, beginning at 3:00 AM and concluding at 12:00 Noon. During the maintenance window, CDT will upgrade the CWDS SOCP mainframe LPAR operating system to version 3.1. The SOCP system will be unavailable during the maintenance window; however, all CWS/CMS users will roll over to the other production LPAR, SOC.

Action Required

No action required.

CWS/CMS Users

If users experience any issues with CWS/CMS, please follow your county process for reporting issues or you may contact the IBM Boulder Help Desk at 1-800-428-8268.

CARES-Live Users

If users experience any issues with the CARES-Live, please follow your county process for reporting issues. CARES-Live County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at Servicedesk@cwds.ca.gov during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.

CDT Service Desk Bulletin – CWDS SOCP Mainframe LPAR z/OS 3.1 Upgrade

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

Forwarding this bulletin as a “For Your Information” communication only. There is no expected outage due to all of the CWS/CMS users rolling over to the SOC mainframe LPAR during the maintenance window.

CARES-Live access will not be impacted by this upgrade.

The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled maintenance on Sunday, March 29, 2026, beginning at 3:00 AM and concluding at 12:00 Noon. During the maintenance window, CDT will upgrade the CWDS SOCP mainframe LPAR operating system to version 3.1. The SOCP system will be unavailable during the maintenance window; however, all CWS/CMS users will roll over to the other production LPAR, SOC.

Action Required

No action required.

CWS/CMS Users
If users experience any issues with CWS/CMS, please follow your county process for reporting issues or you may contact the IBM Boulder Help Desk at 1-800-428-8268.

CARES-Live Users
If users experience any issues with the CARES-Live, please follow your county process for reporting issues. CARES-Live County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal at https://cwds.service-now.com/csm. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at Servicedesk@cwds.ca.gov during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.

CWS/CMS: SCR8794 - Service Provider Merge and SCR8912 - SCP Merge

All SPOCs, Technical and Data Quality Analyst Contacts:

Beginning March 28, 2026, SCR8794 Service Provider Merge and SCR8912 SCP Merge will allow approved merges of groups of duplicates that may span across more than one county. The SCR8794 and SCR8912 DUP reports you receive will remain unchanged, as they currently identify cross-county duplicates. Changes will be applied during the batch merge process, and cross-county merges will no longer be rejected (listed as Exceptions).

Please refer to the Data Quality Portal

Actin Required

For those counties that want to participate, continue working the reports as you have done previously. For more information see  SCR 8794 and SCR 8912

CWS-CARES Scheduled Maintenance - March 16, 2026 | 5PM - 8PM

All Pilot County RFA Implementation Coordinators and SPOCs:

The CWS-CARES team has scheduled maintenance activity for the CWS-CARES production environment for Monday, March 16, 2026, beginning at 5:00 PM and concluding at 8:00 PM. During the maintenance window, the CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process will be accessible for pilot counties Fresno, Placer, and Santa Clara.

During the maintenance window, Tableau reports refresh will be on hold in the CARES application.

Action Required

No action required from end-users during this maintenance window.

If users experience any issues with the CWS-CARES, please follow your county process for reporting issues. CWS-CARES County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at Servicedesk@cwds.ca.gov during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.

CWS-CARES Scheduled Maintenance - March 16, 2026 | 5PM - 8PM

All Pilot County RFA Implementation Coordinators and SPOCs:

The CWS-CARES team has scheduled maintenance activity for the CWS-CARES production environment for Monday, March 16, 2026, beginning at 5:00 PM and concluding at 8:00 PM. During the maintenance window, the CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process will be accessible for pilot counties Fresno, Placer, and Santa Clara.

During the maintenance window, Tableau reports refresh will be on hold in the CARES application.

Action Required

No action required from end-users during this maintenance window.

If users experience any issues with the CWS-CARES, please follow your county process for reporting issues. CWS-CARES County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at Servicedesk@cwds.ca.gov during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.