CWDS Bulletins

Automatic Notification Emails Begin in CWS-CARES Prod Sim (CARES100) on Sept. 14 

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

We are sharing important details regarding automatic system notification emails from the CWS-CARES Production Simulation environment (CARES100) and how this functionality may impact your staff.

Email Notification Schedule:

  1. Email notifications start September 14 through September 18. Users may start receiving CWS-CARES emails as early as September 12 as the feature is enabled during the release window.
  2. Email volume will be monitored through September 18. Based on system activity and feedback, automated emails may remain enabled through September 25 or longer.
  3. Users with an assigned role in the Production Simulation (CARES100) environment may receive email notifications from CWS-CARES even if they are not actively logging in or participating in Prod Sim activities. 
  4. Please continue to consolidate details at the county level and submit findings and observations regarding email volume and functionality through the appropriate Regional Tiered Support channel.
  5. Further communications will be shared if these dates change.

Automated Email Triggers

While outgoing emails to external parties remain blocked, county users should expect potential automated system notification generated by Prod Sim (CARES100) activities. Common scenarios include:

  1. Assignment Updates: Notifications sent to workers or supervisors when primary or secondary assignment change.
  2. Approval Requests: Notifications triggered when a supervisor’s approval is requested.
  3. Task Assignments: System alerts generated for newly assigned tasks with an upcoming due date.
  4. RFA Portal or FFPSA Portal Account Activation: Welcome emails containing first-time login and password setup instructions sent when new user accounts are created.

Recognizing & Verifying CWS-CARES Emails

To help staff distinguish simulation emails, here are details on the messages:

  1. Emails will display the CWS-CARES logo with a red banner stating “Sandbox Not a live System.” as depicted in the picture: 
    Email Alert Message.pdf
  2. The subject line will begin with “Sandbox:” and arrive from one of these addresses:
  1. System emails may include direct links to CWS-CARES records. If staff are uncertain about an email’s authenticity, they are not required to click the link and can instead log in to CWS-CARES directly and locate the record using its identifier.
  2. Staff who prefer to configure personal email filtering rules must set them up individually per local county guidelines.

If you or your staff have questions or need to verify an email from CWS-CARES, please reach out through your Regional Tiered Support channel. Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Please contact the Customer Relations mailbox for questions.

Action Required

Please share this communication with your staff that are impacted by this information.

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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 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.

CWDS: CDT Service Desk Bulletin – Security Certificate Update - Sept. 19, 2026 | 2AM - 4AM

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled a Sectigo security certificate update. The update is scheduled for Thursday, September 19, 2026, beginning at 2:00 AM and concluding at 4:00 AM.

Following the security update, a small subset of users, when connecting to the CWS/CMS Mainframe SOC LPAR, may receive a prompt to accept the new Sectigo certificate as a trusted resource. We are sharing this bulletin to inform these users that they have to accept the certificate if they do receive this prompt.
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Service Desk Bulletin

Subject: Security Certificate Update for soc.cahwnet.gov

Reference Number:

CHG0093427

Event Date/Time:

09/17/2026 @ 02:00 AM

Start Date/Time:

09/17/2026 @ 02:00 AM

End Date/Time:

09/17/2026 @ 04:00 AM

Summary: CDT will apply a new Sectigo security certificate for soc.cahwnet.gov. There will be no change to the signer (root/intermediate).

Action Requested: Customers connecting to the listed LPARs are encouraged to test their applications to ensure connectivity is working as expected once the new security certificate is applied.

Who is Affected: Both Internal and external CWS mainframe customers that directly target connections to CWS via: soc.cahwnet.gov.

What to Expect: Some TN3270 emulation and FTP client software may prompt for user action to accept the new certificate as a trusted resource. Clients should accept the new certificates and proceed as normal.

If you have questions or comments regarding this bulletin, please contact the 24/7 Department of Technology Service Desk at (916) 464-4311 or ServiceDesk@state.ca.gov.

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Action Required

Users need to accept the new Sectigo security certificate, if they are prompted to do so.

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 CWDS Service Desk during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.

CWS/CMS: Extended Data Quality Cleansing Schedule

All SPOCs and Data Quality Analysts:

With the CWS-CARES go-live date adjusted to December 7, 2026, there is an opportunity to schedule additional CWS/CMS data quality cleansing processes. The 2026 MERGES AND CLEANSING GANTT document shows the processes that have been added in October. This updated document is posted to the CWDS website on the Data Quality Portal. It is located under the ‘Merges’ header on the ‘Data Quality Team (DQT) Documents’ link.

Action Required

Visit the DQ Portal and review the updated data quality cleansing schedule document and the other available resources.

CWS/CMS & CARES-Live: CDT Service Desk Bulletin – Edge Router Code Upgrade

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled an upgrade on their customer edge routers. The upgrade window occurs on Sunday, September 20, 2026, beginning at 7:00 AM and concluding at 3:00 PM.

The CWS/CMS and CARES-Live applications will experience outages lasting a total of one or two hours within the scheduled upgrade window.

Remote access via a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to the applications will not be impacted. Server Based Computing (SBC) users, if accessing through VPN/Zscaler, will also not be impacted.

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Service Desk Bulletin

Subject: Upgrading the code on CDT Customer Edge Routers.

Reference Number:

CHG0093455

Event Date/Time:

09/20/2026 @ 07:00 AM

Start Date/Time:

09/20/2026 @ 07:00 AM

End Date/Time:

09/20/2026 @ 03:00 PM

Summary: CDT engineers will upgrade the code on 24 customer edge routers.

Action Requested: Customers are encouraged to test their connectivity after the maintenance window.

Who is Affected: 

CDE - California Department of Education

CWDS - Child Welfare Digital Services

CSAC - California Student Aid Commission

CSD - Department of Community Services and Development

DCSS - Department of Child Support Services

CTC - Commission on Teacher Credentialing

CDFA - Department of Food and Agriculture

DHCS - Department of Health Care Services

DOF - Department of Finance

EDD - Employment Development Department

CALEPA - Environmental Protection Agency

HCD - Department of Housing and Community Development

CSL - California State Library

DMHC - Department of Managed Health Care

MHSOAC - Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission

Cal OES - Governor's Office of Emergency Services

SCO - State Controller's Office

CAHSRA - High-Speed Rail Authority

OSPD - California State Public Defenders

ALRB - Agricultural Labor Relations Board

Go-Biz - Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development

STO - State Treasurer's Office

What to Expect: Customer routers require multiple reload and will be down 1-2 hours during the maintenance window.

If you have questions or comments regarding this bulletin, please contact the 24/7 Department of Technology Service Desk at (916) 464-4311 or ServiceDesk@state.ca.gov.

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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 CWDS Service Desk during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.

Action Required: Instructions for Revoking Generic Test Accounts in CARES100 (Prod Sim) – 9/10/2026

County Security Administrators, System Administrators, and Authorized Provisioning Leads, CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, and State Leadership:

Following up on the August 31st communication regarding generic test accounts within the CWS- CARES Prod Sim (CARES 100) environment, the CWS-CARES Project is providing specific instructions on how County Security Administrators, System Administrators, and Authorized Provisioning Leads can revoke access for any remaining generic test accounts.

Required Actions for County Administrators

  1. Immediately audit your system users and identify any generic, shared, or placeholder test accounts within CARES100 (Prod Sim).
  2. Revoke the user access by following the step-by-step procedures Instructions for Revoking Generic Test Accounts in CWS-CARES as posted on the CWS-CARES System Updates & Release Notes | Child Welfare Digital Services page.
  3. If you encounter technical issues and are unable to revoke a generic test account in Prod Sim (CARES100), please submit a ticket through the standard Tier 2 Help Desk so the project team can assist you directly.10

Thank you for your prompt attention to ensuring our security standards and audit compliance standards are maintained. Please reach out during the Production Simulation Office Hours if you have any questions regarding proper provisioning workflows.

If you have questions, please contact the CWDS Information Security mailbox.

Action Required

Please share this communication with all staff who should be aware of these details.  County Administrators are requested to immediately audit CARES 100 (Prod Sim) for generic test accounts and revoke their access using the provided guide or submit a Tier 2 Help Desk ticket if technical issues arise.

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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 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.

Action Required: CWS-CARES Production Onboarding & Login Verification - Begins September 21, 2026

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

In preparation for CWS-CARES production go-live on December 7, 2026, user onboarding of CWS/CMS users for CWS-CARES Production environment (CARES) will begin on September 21, 2026. 

This window allows staff sufficient time to verify their login credentials well in advance of go-live.

What Users Need to Know:

  • Login Verification Only: From September 21, 2026, to November 20, 2026, users will login to CWS-CARES to confirm access.
  • Application Access Locked: The CARES application tile will remain locked on the user dashboard. Access to CARES application will be enabled prior to go-live and a separate announcement will follow.
  • No Individual User Emails: Because onboarding is statewide, individual user emails will not be sent. This notification serves to prompt all users – whether using Single Sign-On (integrated/co-existent) and or a direct account welcome email (non-integrated/dedicated) - to test their login.

CWS-CARES Production Access: Login Instructions by Type (Starting September 21, 2026):

  • Non-integrated/Dedicated Counties & Organizations: Onboarded users will receive a system-generated welcome email with the subject “Welcome to CWS-CARES" from: no-reply@cares.cwds.ca.gov Users must click the activation link within seven days to set up their password and security questions.
  • Integrated/Co-Existent Counties & Organizations: Users will not receive an activation email. Instead, users test access directly at this link by logging in with Single Sign-On (SSO) using their county-provided domain credentials.

Kickoff and Office Hour Meetings

Two onboarding kickoff meetings and Office Hour sessions will be conducted via Microsoft Teams Town Hall. The sessions have a maximum capacity of 10,000 attendees. American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters can be provided upon request; please contact Customer Relations at least five days in advance of the session. Onboarding sessions will be recorded.

Links to the kickoff meetings and regional office hours are available on the Production Simulation Hub. Meeting invitations will not be sent directly to individuals; counties and organizations should review the schedule and determine which sessions their staff should attend.

Available Sessions:

Onboarding Kickoff Meeting:

Onboarding Office Hours:

Bay Area

BARC-ProdSimSupport@otsi.ca.gov

Morning: 10:00-11:00am 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting 

Afternoon: 2:00-3:00pm 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

Central

CentralValley-ProdSimSupport@otsi.ca.gov

Morning: 10:00-11:00am 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting 

Afternoon: 2:00-3:00pm 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

Northern

Northern-ProdSimSupport@otsi.ca.gov

Morning: 10:00-11:00am 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting 

Afternoon: 2:00-3:00pm 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

Southern

Southern-ProdSimSupport@otsi.ca.gov

Morning: 10:00-11:00am 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting 

Afternoon: 2:00-3:00pm 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

Los Angeles

LA-ProdSimSupport@otsi.ca.gov

Morning: 10:00-11:00am 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting 

Afternoon: 2:00-3:00pm 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

Mountain Valley

MountainValley-ProdSimSupport@otsi.ca.gov

Morning: 10:00-11:00am 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting  

Afternoon: 2:00-3:00pm 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting


Action Requested:

   1. Log In: Access the CARES production environment.

      *SSO Users (Integrated/Co-existent): Log in using your county domain credentials.

      *Welcome Email Users (Non-integrated/Dedicated): Follow the link in your welcome email to set up your account, then log in.

   2. Verify Dashboard Access: Confirm you are automatically redirected to the main Dashboard page after logging in.

   3. Confirm Tile Access: Locate the locked CARES Application Tile on your dashboard to confirm your account is verified.

Thank you for your continued collaboration as we transition to CWS-CARES.

Please contact Customer Relations for questions.

______________________________________________________________________

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.

CDT Service Desk Bulletin - SAFE Cloud Service Scheduled Maintenance

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, September 26, 2026, at 8:00 PM and concludes on Sunday, September 27, 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.
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Service Desk Bulletin

Subject: SAFE Cloud Service Scheduled Maintenance – Monthly Patching

Reference Number:

CHG0093445

Event Date/Time:

09/26/2026 @ 08:00 PM

Start Date/Time:

09/26/2026 @ 08:00 PM

End Date/Time:

09/27/2026 @ 02:00 AM

Summary: SAFE Cloud service – scheduled maintenance

Action Requested: All users should logoff of the SAFE Cloud service prior to the start of the stated maintenance timeframe.

Who is Affected: All users of the SAFE Cloud service

What to Expect: SAFE Cloud service will be unavailable during the stated maintenance timeframe

If you have questions or comments regarding this bulletin, please contact the 24/7 Department of Technology Service Desk at (916) 464-4311 or ServiceDesk@state.ca.gov.

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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.

 

End-date of Inactive CWS/CMS User Logins for CWS-CARES Readiness – UPDATE

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

September 9, 2026 UPDATE: The automated process to end‑date inactive CWS/CMS user logins continues for September. The new reports, titled ‘SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-09-09.xlsx’, were generated and saved to SAFE on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. REMINDER: This report lists CWS/CMS user accounts that have been inactive for the previous 90 days.

Please review your organization’s report, saved in the SAFE folder. Organizations that do not have any potential accounts to end‑date in their report will, instead, find the following statement, “NO ROWS FOR DATA QUALITY CLEANSE”.

If needed, up to ten (10) listed accounts may be requested to be excluded from the automated end‑date process. Please submit your exclusion file by Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 5:00 PM, to request listed user logins from being end-dated when the process runs on Saturday, September 26, 2026. If more than ten (10) user logins are needed to be excluded, please send your justification to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox (CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov). The justification will be forwarded to the review team for consideration. No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided.

As stated in the attached SCR 9039 FAQ document, CWS/CMS User IDs that need to be reactivated following the automated end‑date process can be accomplished by contacting the IBM Help Desk at 800-428-8268. Please note that the process to reactivate the accounts is complex and does take one or two weeks to be completed by the IBM team. However, in order to expedite this timeline, it is important when calling in the ticket to explain the reason the user ID login was end dated was due to SCR 9039. User accounts from the reports that are logged in prior to Friday, September 25, 2026, at 5:00 PM, will not be end‑dated in the automated process on September 26, 2026.

All User ID accounts, both active and inactive, will be migrated to CWS-CARES. End-dated User ID accounts that need to be reactivated in CWS-CARES can be completed by the Administrators within CWS-CARES. This process will be much more direct and easier to complete in CWS-CARES than it is currently accomplished in CWS/CMS.

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August 3, 2026 UPDATE: The automated process to end‑date inactive CWS/CMS user logins has resumed, after pausing for the previous two months. The new reports, titled ‘SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-08-03.xlsx’, were generated and saved to SAFE on Monday, August 3, 2026. REMINDER: This report lists CWS/CMS user accounts that have been inactive for the previous 90 days.

Please review your organization’s report, saved in the SAFE folder. Organizations that do not have any potential accounts to end‑date in their report will, instead, find the following statement, “NO ROWS FOR DATA QUALITY CLEANSE”.

If needed, up to ten (10) listed accounts may be requested to be excluded from the automated end‑date process. Please submit your exclusion file by Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 5:00 PM, to request listed user logins from being end-dated when the process runs on Saturday, August 22, 2026. If more than ten (10) user logins are needed to be excluded, please send your justification to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox. The justification will be forwarded to the review team for consideration. No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided.

As stated in the attached SCR 9039 FAQ document, CWS/CMS User IDs that need to be reactivated following the automated end‑date process can be accomplished by contacting the IBM Help Desk at 800-428-8268. Please note that the process to reactive the accounts is complex and does take one or two weeks to be completed by the IBM team. However, in order to expedite this timeline, it is important when calling in the ticket to explain the reason the user ID login was end dated was due to SCR 9039. User accounts from the reports that are logged in prior to Friday, August 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM, will not be end‑dated in the automated process on May 23, 2026.

All User ID accounts, both active and inactive, will be migrated to CWS-CARES. End-dated User ID accounts that need to be reactivated in CWS-CARES can be completed by the Administrators within CWS-CARES. This process will be much more direct and easier to complete in CWS-CARES than it is currently accomplished in CWS/CMS.

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June 9, 2026 UPDATE: The automated process to end-date inactive CWS/CMS user accounts will not run in June or July. The reports will resume in August, tentatively planned for August 3, 2026.

An additional update will be issued after the new reports are run and prepared for review.

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May 7, 2026 UPDATE: The automated process to end‑date inactive CWS/CMS user logins continues in May. The new reports were generated and saved to SAFE on Thursday, May 7, 2026. The SAFE file is titled, “SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-05-07.xlsx.” REMINDER: this is the first month will list CWS/CMS user accounts that have been inactive for the previous 90 days.

Please review your organization’s report, saved in the SAFE folder. Organizations that do not have any potential accounts to end‑date in their report will, instead, find the following statement, “NO ROWS FOR DATA QUALITY CLEANSE”.

If needed, up to ten (10) listed accounts may be requested to be excluded from the automated end‑date process. Please submit your exclusion file by Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM, to request listed user logins from being end-dated when the process runs on Saturday, May 23, 2026. If more than ten (10) user logins are needed to be excluded, please send your justification to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox (CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov). The justification will be forwarded to the review team for consideration. No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided.

As stated in the attached SCR 9039 FAQ document, CWS/CMS User IDs that need to be reactivated following the automated end‑date process can be accomplished by contacting the IBM Help Desk at 800-428-8268. Please note that the process to reactive the accounts is complex and does take one or two weeks to be completed by the IBM team. However, in order to expedite this timeline, it is important when calling in the ticket to explain the reason the user ID login was end dated was due to SCR 9039. User accounts from the reports that are logged in prior to Friday, May 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM, will not be end‑dated in the automated process on May 23, 2026.

All User ID accounts, both active and inactive, will be migrated to CWS-CARES. End-dated User ID accounts that need to be reactivated in CWS-CARES can be completed by the Administrators within CWS-CARES. This process will be much more direct and easier to complete in CWS-CARES than it is currently accomplished in CWS/CMS.

____________________________________________________________________________________

April 7, 2026 UPDATE: After a one-month hiatus for March, the automated process to end‑date inactive CWS/CMS user logins has resumed for April. The new reports were generated and saved to SAFE on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. The SAFE file is titled, “SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-04-07.xlsx.” REMINDER: this is the final month that the report will list CWS/CMS user accounts that have been inactive for the previous 180 days. Beginning in May, the reports will list accounts that have been inactive for 90 days.

Please review your organization’s report, saved in the SAFE folder. Organizations that do not have any potential accounts to end‑date in their report will, instead, find the following statement, “NO ROWS FOR DATA QUALITY CLEANSE”.

If needed, up to ten (10) listed accounts may be requested to be excluded from the automated end‑date process. Only a few organizations currently have more than ten (10) accounts listed. Please submit your exclusion file by Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 5:00 PM, to request listed user logins from being end-dated when the process runs on Saturday, April 25, 2026. If more than ten (10) user logins are needed to be excluded, please send your justification to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox (CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov). The justification will be forwarded to the review team for consideration. No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided.

As stated in the attached SCR 9039 FAQ document, CWS/CMS User IDs that need to be reactivated following the automated end‑date process can be accomplished by contacting the IBM Help Desk at 800-428-8268. Please note that the process to reactive the accounts is complex and does take one or two weeks to be completed by the IBM team. User accounts from the reports that are logged in prior to Friday, April 24, 2026, at 5:00 PM, will not be end‑dated in the automated process on April 25, 2026.

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March 5, 2026 UPDATE: The CWDS Project has decided to not run the automated process to end-date inactive CWS/CMS user logins during March. The monthly process will resume in April. The next reports will be sent to the SAFE folder approximately April 7, 2026.

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February 18, 2026 UPDATE: This is a reminder to submit an exclusion file, if needed, by Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 5:00 PM to prevent up to ten (10) user logins from being end-dated. No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided.

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February 11, 2026 UPDATE:  As presented at the February 10, 2026 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting, we are sharing the updated SCR 9039 FAQ document for your reference.   

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February 6, 2026 UPDATE: Based on received feedback, the reports are being updated for the following criteria:

Report criteria:

Identifies CWS/CMS user logins that have not been used in the past 180 days 

However, users are omitted from the report if they fall into one of these two categories:

  1. Have NOT logged into CWS/CMS within the previous 180 days, but HAVE logged into CARES-Live within the previous 180 days.
  2. The User ID has been created within the previous 90 days, and has NOT logged into CWS/CMS.

Updated reports, using the new criteria listed above, will be made available in SAFE in the FromOSI folder no later than 5:00 PM, on Friday, February 6, 2026, titled: 
SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-02-06.xlsx. 

Please use this updated report when reviewing the list of user logins identified for deactivation.

_____________________________________________________________________

To prepare for CWS-CARES Mock Cycles and Production Simulation, the CWS-CARES Project will begin an automated process to end-date inactive CWS/CMS user logins. This effort helps ensure that only active users are set up with access in CWS-CARES. 

This process identifies CWS/CMS user logins that have not been used in the past 180 days and schedules those logins to be end-dated. This is standard account cleanup intended to reduce inactive or outdated system access as counties prepare for CWS-CARES. 

What This Means for Counties 

  • This activity affects system access only. There are no impacts to caseloads, staff roles, office assignments, or authority. 
  • User logins associated with an active County License Case (CLC) are excluded from the report. 
  • All user accounts (active and inactive) will still be carried forward to CWS-CARES. 

County Review and Option to Exclude User Logins  

Counties will have an opportunity to review the list of user logins identified for deactivation. To accommodate staff on extended leave (such as administrative or maternity leave), counties may exclude up to 10 user logins from deactivation, if needed. 

A report will be available in SAFE in the FromOSI folder on February 2, 2026, titled: 
SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-02-02.xlsx. 

If your county wishes to exclude user logins: 

  1. Use the Excel file provided. 
  2. Keep only the rows (up to 10) for user logins you want excluded. 
  3. Do not modify the file layout or formatting. 
  4. Upload the file to SAFE in the ToOSI folder. 

If more than 10 exclusions are needed, please contact CWDS Customer Relations and include a brief explanation. 

Deadline: February 19 at 5:00 PM 
Files received after this deadline will not be accepted, and all user logins listed in the original report will be end-dated. 

Timing and Ongoing Process 

  • This first run will process and end-date User IDs on February 21, 2026. 
  • The 180-day inactivity threshold will remain in place through April 2026, giving counties additional time to review the list and adjust to new processes. 
  • Beginning May, the inactivity threshold will change to 90 days, consistent with CWS-CARES access policy and the Production Simulation environment. 
  • After February, this process will occur monthly until the transition to CWS-CARES: 
  • Reports will be posted after the first weekend of each month 
  • User logins will be deactivated during the fourth weekend of the month 
  • Counties will receive advance notice of specific dates 

Restoring a User Login 

If a user login is end-dated and later needs to be restored, counties may submit a Help Desk ticket to reinstate the existing login and associated staff access. 

Action Required 

  • Review the report of inactive CWS/CMS user logins when it becomes available in SAFE. 
  • Submit an exclusion file (if needed) by February 19 at 5:00 PM to prevent up to 10 user logins from being end-dated. 
  • No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided. 

For questions or concerns, please contact the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox. 

Upcoming Production Simulation Kickoffs for RFA & FFPSA Portal Testing 

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

Please join the Project Team for a CWS-CARES Production Simulation Kickoff Meeting for Resource Family Approval (RFA) and Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) portals testing. The testing period for RFA and FFPSA portals is September 14 to September 25.

This optional meeting will introduce the purpose of portal testing, user expectations, how to access and test the portals, and support available. All RFA and FFPSA testers are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be recorded and shared with users on the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Hub.

All meetings will share identical content. You should only plan to attend one meeting:

Please note that each session is limited to the first 1,000 participants. If you are unable to attend, please review the recording that will be available on the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Hub.

If accommodation is needed, please contact the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Support Mailbox as soon as possible.

Action Required:

Please share the registration links and kickoff details with all staff involved in RFA and FFPSA portal testing.

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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 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.

CWS-CARES Weekly Digest - September 8, 2026

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

In this Weekly Digest:

  • General
    • Important Update: CWS-CARES Go-Live Date Adjusted to December 7, 2026
    • System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub
    • Production Simulation Kickoff for RFA and FFPSA Portals Testing
    • Registration Now Open for Stakeholder Briefing #11
    • Two Weeks Left: Order Now at the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop!
  • Implementation
    • BPR Delta Sessions Conclude: Review of Change Impacts Helps Organizations Prepare for CWS-CARES
    • OCM Guidance Resources Spotlight: Communications
    • Go-Live Support Planning Update
  • Training
    • Train-the-Trainer (TTT) and Instructor Led Training (ILT) Parking Lot Questions Response and Review Process
    • Facilitator and Quick Guide Updates
    • Guidance on Points of Contact for CARES 104 Access, Training, and Support
  • CWS-CARES Functionality
    • CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: September 8, 2026

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General

Important Update: CWS-CARES Go-Live Date Adjusted to December 7, 2026

The CWS-CARES Board of Directors has moved the CWS-CARES Version 1 Go-Live date from Monday, October 26, 2026 to Monday, December 7, 2026. The change provides additional time to stabilize the system and support readiness activities across counties and organizations.

The extended timeline allows the Project to establish a firm system baseline, continue data conversion and validation, and finalize training materials. Users will also have more time to review converted and prepare local business processes before launch. Instructor-Led Training schedules remain the same.

Final updates to the cutover plan and Post Go-Live release strategy are in progress.

For more information, please see Important Update: CWS-CARES Go-Live Date Adjusted to December 7, 2026.

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System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub 

Prod Sim Release Schedule Adjustment for Labor Day Weekend

Every Monday, the CWS-CARES Project publishes new System Updates and Release Notes on the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Hub under the System Updates & Release Notes tab. Due to the Labor Day holiday, no release occurred on Monday, September 7, 2026, and the updates planned for that date will instead be included in the September 14 deployment.

All published updates are located on the System Updates & Release Notes tab in the left navigation bar. Below is a summary of the most recent release.

CWS-CARES Weekly Release Summary: August 31, 2026

The August 31 release delivered a range of corrections and improvements across the CWS-CARES system:

  • 63 new user stories and 311 defect fixes enhancing system accuracy, reliability, and workflows across case management, placement, courts, and intake.
  • 36 data conversion fixes applied across key data elements to improve child location details, administrative permissions, participant information, and intake narratives.
  • 5 county-reported data validation issues resolved from Los Angeles, Fresno, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Humboldt, and Santa Clara, addressing field-identified data concerns.
  • 53 ServiceNow incidents submitted by county partners were also resolved to support accurate and dependable system operation.

Full details for last week’s release are available on the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Hub.

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Production Simulation Kickoff for RFA and FFPSA Portals Testing

Please join the Project Team for the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Kickoff Meeting for the Resource Family Approval (RFA) and Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) portals testing period. The testing period for RFA and FFPSA portals is September 14 to September 25.

This optional meeting will introduce the purpose of portal testing, user expectations, how to access and test the portals, and support available. The meeting will be recorded and shared with users on the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Hub.

All meetings will share identical content.  You should only plan to attend one meeting:

If an accommodation is needed, please contact the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Support Mailbox as soon as possible.

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Registration Now Open for Stakeholder Briefing #11

We encourage you to attend the next CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing on Wednesday, September 23, 2026! Register now at: CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #11 | Registration. Note: A separate calendar invitation will not be sent by the CWS-CARES Project. Please manually add the .ics attachment in the registration confirmation email to your calendar.

All stakeholders are welcome to attend, ask questions, and hear updates from Project leadership. The full agenda for the September 2026 Stakeholder Briefing is available to view on the CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #11 | Registration page. Updates will include:

  • Preparing for Go-Live
  • What to Expect During Week 1
  • Support Available During & After Go-Live

Thank you for participating in our Stakeholder Briefing webinar series! We hope to see you on September 23, 2026, to continue the conversation on the upcoming transition to CWS-CARES.

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Two Weeks Left: Order Now at the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop!

There’s still time to order from the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #3! The shop will remain open until end of day on Friday, September 18, 2026. Place your orders at: CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #3 | Order Now.

The shop is open to all 58 California counties, Tribes, and partner organizations. CWS-CARES branded items are available for purchase using your own funds. For ordering and shipping details, please reference the Pop Up Shop 3 FAQs and Item Selection flyer.

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

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Implementation

BPR Delta Sessions Conclude: Review of Change Impacts Helps Organizations Prepare for CWS-CARES

Between July 28 and September 2, 2026, the Business Process Re-Engineering (BPR) team held optional BPR Delta Sessions with 46 organizations across California, including 27 Child Welfare agencies, 12 Probation departments, and 7 CDSS Divisions. More than 275 individuals participated in these one-on-one conversations focused on building awareness of potential impacts to their existing operations, supporting readiness and preparation, and providing a clear summary of watch items as they continue planning for Go-Live. We encourage participating Organizations to use their unique Delta Session Change Impact Worksheet to review all change impacts and identify whether local procedures, policies, and checklists need revision, additional procedural training will be required for staff, etc.

Organizations that were unable to attend a Delta Session can independently complete a similar assessment by using the Change Impact worksheets for their specific Archetype (Large County, Medium County, Small County, Probation, CDSS). Worksheets are available on the Delta Session Materials page within the CWDS Implementation Portal, under Organizational Change Management à Business Process Re-Engineering. The Cover Page tab in the worksheet provides a description of the information included on all other tabs and how you can use this tool.

Thank you again to all organizations that participated. Please contact the CWDS Implementation Mailbox with any questions.

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OCM Guidance Resources Spotlight: Communications

As Organizations prepare for Go-Live, a clear Communications plan is one of the most critical resources available to them. It is a document that outlines the goals, objectives, tactics, and resources needed for effective communication with stakeholders throughout the CWS-CARES implementation. It includes a detailed plan of the types of communication, channels, timings, and the methods that will be used to convey relevant information to all stakeholders.

Strong communications drive organizational alignment, manages stakeholder expectations, and mitigates change risks. By clearly conveying information, timelines, and change impacts, Organizations minimize confusion, reduce resistance to change, and enable adoption of CWS-CARES.

To support communications, the CWS-CARES OCM Resources Page provides several helpful tools:

  • CWS-CARES Communications Plan Template: This template can be leveraged for Organizations to build out their own communications plan and track progress against the established plan.
  • CWS-CARES Baseline Communications Plan: A preloaded example communications plan with recommended communication topics and cadences to support go-live communications.
  • CWS-CARES Awards Certificate Template: A certificate template Organizations can use to celebrate and showcase individual successes.
  • CWS-CARES Infographics, Flyers, Slogans, and Branding Site: This site offers a variety of communication resources such as infographics, graphics for communications, best practices, and previously published public communications for Organization use.
  • CWS-CARES User Resources: This page hosts a variety of materials for Organizations such as, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS), CARES Explorer issues, historical Weekly Digests, Stakeholder Briefings, Bulletins, and Glossary items so that Organizations can stay up to date on the latest CWS-CARES communications and resources.

A well-executed communication strategy fosters confidence amongst impacted users and stakeholders, helping Organizations maintain business continuity from day one.

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Go-Live Support Planning Update

Over the past 2 weeks, the Project Team continued working through the Go‑Live Support Planning meetings with counties and partner organizations. Most sessions have been completed, with only a small number requiring rescheduling due to availability conflicts. The Implementation Team continues to maintain close engagement with all Organizations throughout September to finalize support plans, address outstanding readiness needs, and enable a smooth transition into Go‑Live..

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Training

Train-the-Trainer (TTT) and Instructor Led Training (ILT) Parking Lot Questions Response and Review Process

Train-the-Trainer (TTT) and Instructor Led Training (ILT) Parking Lot questions have been addressed. Responses can be found on the Implementation Portal under the Parking Lot Responses section.

Lead Trainers and county workers are encouraged to periodically check the Implementation Portal for updated files containing responses to submitted questions. The response file is read-only and version-controlled, allowing users to review responses and track updates by date.

If a follow-up question or additional clarification is needed, users should submit a new item through the TTT Parking Lot, as previously addressed items will not be reopened. Updated responses will be posted periodically.

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Facilitator and Quick Guide Updates

Ongoing updates to Facilitator and Quick Guides are currently being rolled out across the Learning on Demand page within the Implementation Portal. Each guide has been tagged with a “last-updated” date so users can easily distinguish new iterations from previous ones. Please be sure to bookmark the Learning on Demand and review the version dates periodically to confirm you are utilizing the latest versions.

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Guidance on Points of Contact for CARES 104 Access, Training, and Support

To provide timely support and accurate information, please refer to the guidance below on the appropriate lines of communication depending on the need as it relates to CWS-CARES Training:

  • CARES 104 Access: For any questions or issues related to CARES 104 access, please reach out directly to your County SPOC.
  • Instructor Led Training (ILT) Schedule: For inquiries regarding ILT scheduling, please contact your County Training Coordinator.
  • Training Content: If you have questions or need support related to training content, email the CWDS Training Mailbox.
  • Training Feedback: To provide feedback on training sessions, please complete the post‑training surveys offered at the conclusion of each course.
  • California Child Welfare Training (CACWT) Enrollment Issues: If you have erroneously enrolled into a class or need support with enrollment, please reach out to your County Training Coordinator.

If you have additional questions or need assistance determining the right contact, feel free to reach out to CWDS Training Mailbox.

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CWS-CARES Functionality

CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: September 8, 2026 

This week, the CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight features the CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week.

September 8, 2026 FAQ of the Week:

Q: Will all documents that have been scanned and imported in CWS/CMS be available in CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1)?

A: Yes, all documents that have been scanned, imported and made available for cases in CWS/CMS will be available in CWS-CARES. Documents with valid file extensions that successfully pass the malware scan are migrated to CWS-CARES Version 1.

Any documents that are infected, corrupted, or have non-supported/invalid file extensions will be excluded and not brought over to CWS-CARES. Legacy documents will continue to be available in the read-only system and users will still be able to view, download, and print these documents. The limitation applies only to creating or editing documents in the legacy system. Additionally, all legacy generated documents up to April 17th, 2026, have been moved to Production Simulation otherwise known as CARES 100.

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 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.

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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 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.