CWDS Bulletins

All Dedicated County SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

April 2, 2026, UPDATE: CWS/CMS Operations would like to share an important update regarding how all Zscaler support requests will be handled moving forward. These changes will help streamline the process and ensure users receive consistent and timely support.

Effective immediately, all Zscaler-related support requests must be directed to the CMS/CMS Help Desk. This includes:

• Creating new user accounts
• Granting access or requesting unblocked URLs
• Troubleshooting login, access, or connectivity issues

Please encourage users to review the latest Okta & Zscaler User Guide, which is attached to this message. The guide includes:

• Step-by-step instructions for logging in to Zscaler
• How to reset passwords
• How to reset MFA
• Q&A section covering common issues and solutions
• Support contact information

CMS/CMS Help Desk Contact Information:

• CWS/CMS Service Desk Email: cmshelp@kyndryl.com
• CWS/CMS Service Desk Phone Number: 1-800-428-8268

Following these updated procedures will help ensure faster resolution times and a smoother experience for all users.

Thank you for your cooperation and continued partnership.

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February 6, 2026, UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team would like to extend their most sincere gratitude to everyone on their ongoing participation either directly or indirectly with the Zscaler effort.

Updates:

During our deployment, this past January 28^th we had some setbacks that caused the rollback process for Lassen, Plumas and Sutter site 1. CWS Ops has been diligently working on a solution for the counties affected. Currently this has been solved and confirmed for Lassen and Plumas County. For Sutter County we are still working on the fix to be applied. Once the fix is confirmed,  we will work with SPOCs directly to provide next steps.

Next STEPS for Lassen and Plumas County:

• Zscaler to be released once again on Monday February 9^th
• Please reboot your workstation before the start of the day
• Login to Zscaler to be able to access the CWS/CMS resources

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January 26, 2026 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team would like to remind you to reboot your workstation on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. This will ensure your computer is ready with the latest changes before you login and start using Zscaler.

Attached is a copy of the “New User Guide Okta & Zscaler v1.2.” Please review if you have any questions or concerns with the user login and activation process.

Also attached is the calendar invite to allow users to join the call to address any concerns or issues during the deployment of Zscaler.

Zscaler release dates:

Phase 1 of release COMPLETED:

January 21 2026: Shasta, Del Norte, Imperial, Sierra, and Amador to start using Zscaler.

NOTE: Reboot CWS/CMS workstations prior to logging in on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

Phase 2 of release:

January 28 2026: The remaining Dedicated Counties and Tribes.

NOTE: Reboot CWS/CMS workstations prior to logging in on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

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January 16, 2026 UPDATE: Appreciation to everyone who joined today’s “CWS Ops Zscaler User Group” meeting. We are excited as we move forward with this project. Your support and participation is valued.

In this communication we have attached the New User Guide – Okta & Zscaler v1.1 document. Please use this guide for user account activation, enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and using Zscaler.

This is a friendly reminder for those who have not yet done so, to please complete their Zscaler account activation. Please do not delay this step to prevent a possible disruption of service on your State-issued CWS workstation.

Important! Release dates have been updated:

Phase 1 of release: January 21 2026: Shasta, Del Norte, Imperial, Sierra, and Amador Counties to start using Zscaler.

NOTE: Phase 1 users – Make sure you reboot your workstation before using Zscaler on January 21, 2026.

Phase 2 of release: January 28 2026: Everyone else to start using Zscaler.

NOTE: Phase 2 users – Make sure you reboot your workstation before using Zscaler on January 28, 2026.

Also, please add the attached ‘CWS Ops Zscaler Production Support’ Outlook invite to your calendar. You may join the call on January 21, 2026, or January 28, 2026, for Zscaler questions or concerns.

Thank you for your support and participation.

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January 13, 2026 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team thanks everyone for their continued support with the Zscaler implementation project. Below is the recount from the latest Zscaler User Group meeting on Friday, January 9, 2026:

Updates

Appreciation to Shasta, Del Norte, and Imperial Counties for your participation as testers. Please continue to share any feedback as it allows us to improve and close any issues.

We have attached the New User Guide – Okta & Zscaler v1.1 document. Please utilize this guide for user account activation, enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and using Zscaler.

You can now review the previous Zscaler User group sessions at your own pace. These sessions are located on the CWDS website at this link: https://cwds.ca.gov/pages/hardware_technical_information.

Users who have not yet completed their Zscaler account activation will receive an invitation to activate their account. Please ensure users complete their activation as soon as possible. Do not delay on this step so that no disruption is experienced on your State-issued workstation. Once the account is created, wait for the release date before using Zscaler.

Zscaler Release Date

The CWDS Infrastructure team plans to make one final firewall network change in preparation to the release date. This change should not impact users. It is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 12:00 Noon, Pacific Time.

Phase 1 of release: January 21 2026, at 12:00 Noon. Shasta, Del Norte, Imperial, Sierra and Amador Counties to start using Zscaler.

Phase 2 of release: January 28 2026, at 12:00 Noon. All remaining Dedicated Counties to start using Zscaler.

Q&A Highlight

Q: What is the process to request a ZScaler account?

A: Send an email to cwsoperationsteam@otsi.ca.gov to request a Zscaler account.

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December 22, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team thanks everyone for their continued collaboration with the Zscaler implementation project. Below is the recount from the latest Zscaler User Group meeting on Friday, December 19, 2025:

Zscaler Release Date

The CWDS Infrastructure team plans to release Zscaler on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 12:00 Noon Pacific Time.

Q&A Highlight

Q: If new remote user credentials are needed, should counties delay requesting Cisco AnyConnect credentials and wait for Zscaler?

A: No. Please continue with your county’s standard process to request Cisco AnyConnect credentials. In addition, request Zscaler credentials for any users who do not already have them.

Next Steps & Holiday Message

The session on Friday, December 19, 2025, was the final Zscaler User Group meeting for 2025. The CWDS Infrastructure team looks forward to connecting again early in January as the Zscaler release date approaches. In the meantime, the team wishes you, your families, and your loved ones a safe and joyful holiday season.

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December 15, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team expresses their appreciation for those who have joined the weekly Zscaler User Group meetings in November and December and for your continued engagement. Your participation helps keep our efforts on track to quickly identify and address any issues that arise.

Here are the newest questions and answers that arose from the most recent status meeting:

Q: When will the recordings of the previous Zscaler User Group meetings be saved to the CWDS website?

A: The CWDS Web team is working on receiving the necessary approvals. We will provide an update once the CWDS Infrastructure team receives word from the Web team.

Q: When will Zscaler be ready for customers to use?

A: Zscaler testing is nearly completed. An exact implementation date to use Zscaler should be provided by the next Zscaler User Group meeting on Friday, December 19, 2025.

Zscaler Client Connector Deployment Status

CWS Ops is nearing completion of the Zscaler Client Connector deployment across all workstations. Only a small number of workstations remain without the installation. For those machines, we kindly ask that you leave them powered on for an extended period to allow the deployment to complete. If you are a remote user and utilize Cisco AnyConnect, please ensure you are logged in so we can complete the installation successfully.

CWDS appreciates your cooperation and support for this project.

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November 24, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team appreciates your continued participation and support during this Zscaler migration project. Following our last status meeting on Friday, November 21, 2025, the team is pleased to share that they have made steady progress and are now moving forward with this project, as expected. Your ongoing engagement and valuable contributions play an essential role in helping to maintain momentum to achieve these shared goals. We remain grateful for your commitment and look forward to the continued collaboration.

Here are the newest questions and answers that arose from the most recent status meeting:

Q: When will additional Okta authentication login options be available?

A: As of Friday, November 21, 2025, users should have the ability to not have to rely on the ‘Okta Verify’ option from a mobile device. Users now have the ability to obtain the multi-factor authentication (MFA) one-time-use code through their email.

Q: Does this effort involving Zscaler and Okta affect the Server Based Computing (SBC) users login?

A: SBC users will continue to login as they normally do; this Zscaler/Okta effort has no impact on SBC.

Q: When can users expect to receive the email to create the Zscaler/Okta account?

A: Users should have already received an Okta account email from the CWDS Infrastructure team. If users have not yet received the email, please inform the CWDS Infrastructure team at cwsoperationsteam@otsi.ca.gov with the list of users who need to receive the account creation email. Please include the first name, last name, and the email address for each user on the list.

Q: When will the Zscaler client be installed on the CWS workstations?

A: Starting at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, the CWDS Infrastructure team and IBM/Kyndryl will start deploying the Zscaler Client Connector to the CWS workstation, using the BigFix installer. The installation process will use a rolling deployment, so as not to cause too large of impact to the network at one time.

If possible, please leave the CWS workstations powered on over the Thanksgiving holiday. Note: please also be connected to the Virtual Private Network (VPN) if the workstation uses VPN. This process will occur silently in the background.

Once completed, the user will notice the Zscaler application loaded on the workstation. This is an automatic loading process; however, no further action is needed as of this time. The user can close the Zscaler application to continue to do their daily work. Further instruction will be provided when Zscaler is expected to be in use. For now, this current activity is only to load the Zscaler application onto the workstation.

Please direct any questions regarding this process to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov.

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November 10, 2025 UPDATE: The CWDS Infrastructure team will be sending out emails to the Dedicated Counties to create their Zscaler accounts. The attached New User Guide Okta & Zscaler document will assist counties with solving any questions that Counties may have during the transition to Zscaler and Okta. The Infrastructure team will continue to leverage the Friday ‘CWS Ops Zscaler User Group’ meetings to communicate the next steps in this project and to answer any questions that the Counties may have.

Here are a couple questions and answers that arose from last week’s meeting:

Q: Will users that rely on Citrix to login into the CWS/CMS application be impacted when this Virtual Private Network (VPN) change occurs?

A: No impact will be reflected if a user is using Citrix to access the CWS/CMS application.

Q: Since Zscaler depends on the use of Okta, is it possible to receive directions outlining Okta verification process?

A: The attached New User Guide Okta & Zscaler document provides instructions on installing the “Okta verify application” function on iOS and Android mobile devices. The CWDS Infrastructure team is researching the possibility of installing the Okta application on the CWS/CMS workstations, but are currently requesting Dedicated Counties to allow the installation on mobile devices.

Action Required

The only action currently required of the Dedicated County is to create their Zscaler accounts when the email invite is delivered to their Outlook mailbox.

Please continue to attend the Zscaler meetings on Fridays in November and December to learn about the transition from AnyConnect VPN to Zscaler and to share any questions or concerns that you have regarding this project.

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The CWDS Infrastructure team, along with IBM/Kyndryl, currently use AnyConnect Virtual Private Network (VPN) for Dedicated County remote access to the CWS/CMS application. In an effort to achieve higher security standards and to move away from obsolete technologies, CWDS is switching to the Zscaler tool for remote access. Additionally, Zscaler will replace the McAfee proxy that is used to whitelist specific websites for the Dedicated Counties. In collaboration with Zscaler, CWDS will also use the Okta identity management tool.

Zscaler is a cloud native security platform that allows users to connect to applications and surf the internet securely. Okta is an identify management platform that allows user to securely authenticate to services.

The CWDS Infrastructure team will create accounts for all Dedicated County users. On November 19, 2025, IBM/Kyndryl will use the BigFix tool to deploy Zscaler on the Dedicated County workstations. Users will receive emails from Zscaler and Okta as the accounts are created and are rolled out to the workstations.

In December 2025, CWDS will transition from Cisco AnyConnect VPN and McAfee Proxy to Zscaler and Okta. In January 2026, the transition will be completed. Cisco AnyConnect VPN and McAfee Proxy will no longer be used; Dedicated Counties will be fully using only Zscaler and Okta.

To help users with the transition to Zscaler and Okta, the CWDS Infrastructure team will hold weekly meetings every Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM, beginning on November 7, 2025, and running through to the end of the calendar year. The CWDS Infrastructure team will use these meetings to cover the Zscaler project, why it is occurring, the timeline and activities, and to answer questions and concerns regarding the project.

Action Required

Please attend the Zscaler transition meetings, Fridays in November and December, to learn about the transition from AnyConnect VPN to Zscaler and to share any questions or concerns that you have regarding this project.

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts in Mariposa County:

The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled maintenance, beginning on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at 11:00 PM and concluding on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 5:00 AM. Users at the listed site may experience interruptions in connectivity to CWS/CMS and CARES-Live within the scheduled Verizon maintenance window.

Remote access (e.g., Server Based Computing [SBC]) to the CWS/CMS application will not be impacted by this scheduled maintenance.
 

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

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.

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts in Mariposa County:

The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled maintenance on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, beginning at 11:00 PM and concluding on Wednesday, April 01, 2026 at 5:00 AM. Users at the listed site will experience interruptions in connectivity to CWS/CMS and CARES-Live within the scheduled Verizon maintenance window.

Remote access (e.g., Server Based Computing [SBC]) to the CWS/CMS application will not be impacted by this scheduled maintenance.

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

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.

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

In this Weekly Digest:

• The CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop is Now Open!
• Deadline Extended: Share Your Feedback in the Communications Effectiveness Survey #3 by April 3, 2026
• CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #6 Recap and Recording Available
• The March 2026 Progress and Engagement Summary is Now Available
• CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week

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The CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop is Now Open! 

We are excited to announce the opening of the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #2! You may shop now at: CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #2 | Order Now . The shop will be open until end of day on Friday, April 17, 2026. 

All 58 California counties, Tribes, and partner organizations have the opportunity to purchase CWS-CARES branded items using their own funds at this limited-time online store. For more information on ordering and shipping, please review the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #2 FAQs and Item Preview document.  

Please contact CWDS Customer Relations with any questions. Happy shopping! 

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Deadline Extended: Share Your Feedback in the Communications Effectiveness Survey #3 by April 3, 2026 

Share your experience in the third annual CWS-CARES Communication Effectiveness Survey, which has now been extended through Friday, April 3, 2026. We are extending the deadline to ensure the survey results accurately reflect the overall sentiment of our stakeholders. If additional submissions are not received, the survey results will be voided. 

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

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

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. 

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CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #6 Recap and Recording Available 

Thank you to everyone who attended CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #6 on Wednesday, March 25, 2026! We were pleased to have 457 participants across 48 counties and over 6 partner organizations join the session live – our highest participation rate to date! We received 78 questions during the session, which we are working to answer and share with you as soon as possible. 

The full recording of the session is now available on the Stakeholder Briefings and Webinar Materials page on the CWDS website. Please login with your county or organization email address to view the recording. An accessible PDF of the presentation slides along with a summary of the session Q&A will be available in the coming weeks in the same location.  

The next CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, 2026. The registration link and session agenda will be shared through the CWS-CARES Weekly Digest in April 2026. We hope to see you there! 

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The March 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 CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summary | March 2026 features engagement analytics for the February 2026 reporting period across the following subject areas: 

• Project Communications 

• Core Constituent Demonstrations 

• Forms and Data 

• External Systems, Interfaces, and Analytics 

• Implementation, OCM, and Training Activities 

View all CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summaries on the CWDS website: CWS_CARES_Progress_and_Engagement_Updates. 

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March 30, 2026 FAQ of the Week:

Q: What is the current plan for Non-Federally Recognized Tribes and CWS-CARES, and who is the key contact within the project for this? 
 
A: Non-Federally recognized Tribes are included in the Tribal Directory built by Resource Management. CWS-CARES will allow a user to capture all Tribal ancestry information for a child and family regardless of whether the Tribe is Federally Recognized. CWS-CARES functionality supports lineal descendancy and the Spirit of ICWA for Non-Federally Recognized Tribes. For any additional project questions, please send to the Customer Relations Mailbox. 

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CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (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 30, 2026 FAQ of the Week:

Q: What is the current plan for Non-Federally Recognized Tribes and CWS-CARES, and who is the key contact within the project for this? 
 
A: Non-Federally recognized Tribes are included in the Tribal Directory built by Resource Management. CWS-CARES will allow a user to capture all Tribal ancestry information for a child and family regardless of whether the Tribe is Federally Recognized. CWS-CARES functionality supports lineal descendancy and the Spirit of ICWA for Non-Federally Recognized Tribes. For any additional project questions, please send to the Customer Relations Mailbox. 

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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.

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

As noted in our recent update regarding Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) Portal testing as part of CWS-CARES Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) 3, we are shifting to a more focused testing approach utilizing a smaller group of subject matter experts (SMEs). We are now requesting your assistance in recruiting specific testers from your organization to participate in this effort.

Tester Pairing and Roles

To ensure the FFPSA Portal is tested comprehensively from front to back, testers must be paired across two distinct roles. Each tester can only fill one of the following roles:

1. CBO (Community-Based Organization) Tester
2. CWS-CARES User

Staffing Requirements per Participating County

1. At least one person for each role (CBO and CWS-CARES User).
2. A total of two staff members for each set of testers (one per role) in each participating organization.

Recommended Background for Tester Roles

• CBO Tester Role: SMEs with a background in Prevention Services, and individuals with previous EUST experience are preferred. Note: County staff may act as CBO testers; however, this requires a separate external email address (non-county email) for portal access.
• CWS-CARES Users Role: Individuals with familiarity in FFPSA, case management, and financial management, previous EUST experience is preferred.

We anticipate a commitment of five (5) to ten (10) hours per week over the planned two-week testing timeframe of April 6 – 17, 2026. We will provide a finalized schedule and specific dates as soon as they are confirmed.

Please respond using this form: EUST 3 FFPSA Portal Tester Registration and provide your designated testers' names and contact information by end of day Monday, March 30, 2026. Once your testers have been identified and submitted, the designated staff will receive training invitations directly from the CWS-CARES Training team. These invitations will include the specific dates, times, and logistical details for the upcoming sessions.

Thank you for your partnership in ensuring the CWS-CARES FFPSA Portal meets the needs of our statewide users.

 

Action Required

Please respond using this form: EUST 3 FFPSA Portal Tester Registration and provide your designated testers' names and contact information by end of day Monday, March 30, 2026.

All Pilot County RFA Implementation Coordinators and SPOCs:

The CWS-CARES team has scheduled maintenance activity for the CWS-CARES production environment for Tuesday, March 31, 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, document related functionality in the CARES application will not be accessible.

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.

Child Welfare Leadership, CARES SPOCs, CARES Implementation Coordinators, CARES OCM Coordinators

CWS-CARES is pleased to announce that KPMG has been awarded the contract for Implementation Services for CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1). We are moving rapidly with the immediate onboarding of KPMG to ensure a seamless integration into our current operations. 

We are confident that this partnership offers enhanced implementation services. KPMG is committed to providing as much continuity as possible for counties, with some strategic adjustments aimed at improving processes and increasing overall efficiency starting with training, Business Process Reengineering (BPR), and the Production Simulation (Prod Sim) environment. 

Key Updates and Next Steps: 

1. Project Timeline: CWS-CARES Version 1 remains on track for the October 2026 Go-Live. 

2. Engagement: Organizational meetings are anticipated to resume in April 2026. You can also expect additional communication and updates in the forthcoming weeks. 

3. Implementation Leads: More direct communication regarding Implementation Lead assignments will be shared soon. 

4. Upcoming Information: We will provide a high-level summary of implementation services that includes a training calendar and delivery schedule. 

We understand there are many questions regarding this transition, and we are committed to sharing information as soon as it becomes available. The next opportunity for county updates will be during CWDA week, where we look forward to sharing these developments further. 

Thank you for your continued partnership as we work toward a successful statewide launch of CWS-CARES Version 1. 

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

The CARES-Live team has scheduled maintenance for the CARES-Live application. The maintenance is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. During this scheduled maintenance the CARES-Live team will focus on application maintenance changes that are not visible to CARES-Live users.

NOTE: Users will not be able to access the CARES-Live application during the scheduled outage.

 

Action Required

If users experience any issues with 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.

All SPOCs, Technical Contacts, and CAD Contacts:

A service on the CWS/CMS CAD BusinessObjects (BO) server did not start correctly last night, March 24, 2026. The service was restarted this morning; however, the maximum number of connections to the database exceeded the allowed limit. This has caused the failure of some reports to complete processing this morning and will need to be run again.

Action Required

Check your scheduled Business Objects reports this morning and verify your results. If needed, manually invoke the scheduled BO reports from last night.

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

In this Weekly Digest:

• Deadline Extended: Complete the CWS-CARES Communication Effectiveness Survey #3 by March 27, 2026

• Final Reminder: Register for Stakeholder Briefing #6 on March 25, 2026, from 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon

• CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week

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Deadline Extended: Complete the CWS-CARES Communication Effectiveness Survey #3 by March 27, 2026

Share your experience in the third annual CWS-CARES Communication Effectiveness Survey, which has now been extended through Friday, March 27, 2026. The annual Communication Effectiveness Survey helps us understand what is 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 #3. The 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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Final Reminder: Register for Stakeholder Briefing #6 on March 25, 2026, 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 spot: Stakeholder 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 Frequently Asked Question (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 23, 2026 FAQ of the Week:

Q: It is noted that there is the ability in CWS-CARES to e-sign a lot of documents (i.e., courts, state forms, etc.). Has the State already approved e-signatures? We have been previously instructed that they need wet signatures for many different documents.

A: While CWS-CARES has the functionality to e-sign documents such as court reports and state forms, e‑signatures are not required. Counties will have the flexibility to follow their own county and court policies around e‑signing documents. Please view Rule 2.257 for further details on the use of e‑signatures.

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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