March 11, 2025
Communications
All SPOCs and Training Contacts:
March 11, 2024 REMINDER: This is a reminder that the deadline to register for the R9.6 County Test Workshop (CTW) is Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
The Child Welfare Digital Services (CWDS) Office is requesting county staff to participate in the Release 9.6 County Test Workshop (CTW). Registered testers will participate in the testing of Release 9.6 Data Quality SCRs, which is been scheduled for delivery to the Counties on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
The CTW for Release 9.6 will be conducted in a remote setting via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) workstations.
The deadline to register is Tuesday, March 25, 2025
System Change Requests (SCRs) included in this release are:
- SCR 8982 - Add Missing Name for Placement Homes for CARES
- SCR 8983 - Add Missing Name for Non-Foster Care Facilities for CARES
- SCR 8999 - Update Client Dates out-of-range for CARES
- SCR 8985 - Make Name Mandatory for Non-Foster Care Facility
- SCR 8989 - Cleanup Outdated Home Studies
- SCR 8843 - Transfer Enrollment between DOE Schools
- SCR 8967 - Duplicate Hearing Notebook Warning
- SCR 8972 - ACL 22-95 ICWA Eligibility Data Entry Mandatory Fields (Part B)
- SCR 8943 - Expand Merge History Log
- SCR 9020 - R9.6 Training Tools Package
Counties are encouraged to register individuals with knowledge and experience working in the areas mentioned above. A mix of end users with casework or supervisory experience will also be beneficial. Participants will validate the changes in the release and will perform tests of problem fixes and enhancements. Participants will work with other County and State testers and vendor support staff.
Remote CTW sessions will take place in the morning from 9:00AM - 12:00PM and again in the afternoon from 1:00PM – 4:00PM on the following dates:
R9.6 Data Quality SCRs in the VB6 Environment
CWDS is seeking a total of fifteen (15) County staff members for each of the following twelve (12) sessions (2 sessions per day):
- Tuesday, April 29, 2025 (AM or PM session)
- Wednesday, April 30, 2025 (AM or PM session)
- Thursday, May 1, 2025 (AM or PM session)
- Tuesday, May 6, 2025 (AM or PM session)
- Wednesday, May 7, 2025 (AM or PM session)
- Thursday, May 8, 2025 (AM or PM session)
R9.6 Data Quality SCRs in C# Environment
CWDS is seeking fifteen (15) County staff members for each of the C# fourteen (10) sessions (2 sessions per day).
- Monday, June 23, 2025 (AM or PM session)
- Tuesday, June 24, 2025 (AM or PM session)
- Wednesday, June 25, 2025 (AM or PM session)
- Thursday, June 26, 2025 (AM or PM session)
- Friday, June 27, 2025 (AM or PM session)
Participants are welcome to register for any of the sessions listed above in half or whole-day increments.
We encourage you to submit your request for a specific session as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. If a session’s count exceeds the maximum count, Customer Relations will work with that tester to be rescheduled for another session. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
A Release 9.6 CTW Online Registration Form (see link below) for each potential tester must be received as soon as possible but no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, so the CWDS office can finalize the needed arrangements.
Link: Release 9.6 Data Quality SCRs (VB6 and C#) County Test Workshop (CTW) Registration Form
The CWDS Office will work with the registered testers on all the details of their CTW participation.
Special Note:
The County data will be pulled from the Production environment and copied to the CTW environment at the close of business on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Therefore, changes to your Production environment after this date will not be in the CTW environment.
If you cannot access the Online Registration Form or have any questions regarding this recruitment, please email CWS_CustRel@osi.ca.gov. Your continued support of CWDS is greatly appreciated.
Action Required
Submit a Release 9.6 County Test Workshop Online Registration Form no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
March 05, 2025
Communications
All SPOCs:
The CWS-CARES Implementation Organizational Change Management (OCM) Team is proud to present the third of several videos in the CWS-CARES Video Series. The videos will be under five minutes, will showcase the CWS-CARES product, and will prepare you for the coming changes.
The next video, CWS-CARES 101, was developed with all end-users in mind. It expands on the benefits of CWS-CARES from the previous two videos in the series. The link to this video, as with the other OCM videos, is saved on the CWDS website, in the OCM section of the Implementation portal.
Video Link: CWS-CARES 101
Action Required
We request that SPOCs share the CWS-CARES 101 video with all staff impacted by CWS-CARES. We also encourage you to show the video to your teams in upcoming meetings or when someone contacts you to ask about CWS-CARES. We hope you can use this video as a tool to help jump-start conversations with your teams about the future.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the CWS-CARES Implementation OCM Team.
March 05, 2025
Communications
All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:
EFFECTIVE March 19, 2025, CWS-CARES RELEASE 0.16 PRODUCTION RELEASE IS PLANNED TO MOVE INTO PRODUCTION
The CWS-CARES team has scheduled release activity that will interrupt connectivity to the CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process for pilot counties Fresno, Placer, and Santa Clara. The release activity is planned to begin at 5:00 PM on March 19, 2025, and conclude at 11:00 PM. During this scheduled outage, users in pilot counties will not be able to access the CARES RFA application.
CWS-CARES Release 0.16:
The purpose of this release is to primarily deliver fixes for known issues, enhancements to behind-the-scenes functionality and security improvements to CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process.
CWDS is excited to share the new RFA features that are planned to be available following the implementation of CWS-CARES Release 0.16 on March 19, 2025, to the CARES-RFA Pilot County users. These new features are derived from user feedback as well as project planned enhancements.
As a resource to pilot counties, over the next few weeks, your organization can expect to receive information regarding a Webinar along with an updated Participant and Quick Reference Guide. These resources will provide the system users with details of the features/functionality that have been added since the last production release.
RFA Application Process:
The RFA Application process is the Receipt, Record, Submission, and Assignment of an Application. The RFA Application process was selected as the first software build for CARES. CARES will ultimately replace the legacy Child Welfare System CWS/CMS. The RFA Application Process will operate in a totally new Production Environment without integrating with other legacy systems, such as the CWS/CMS and CARES-Live applications.
RFA Application Process Features:
- Allows an applicant or County staff member to initiate an emergency or standard application to become a resource family home
- Creates a facility profile that tracks required information to complete this process, including background check results, completion of orientation and training hours, physical home assessment, and family evaluation
- Aggregates information into a report to recommend approval or disapproval of a resource family application
Action Required
RFA Pilot County users review new features in the CWS-CARES Production Environment after March 20, 2025.
All Release Notes, including information for this release once available, can be found here: RFA Application Process Release Notes and Interim Processes
March 04, 2025
Communications
External Systems Points of Contact, CARES SPOCs, County Leadership, CARES Implementation Coordinators, and OCM Coordinators:
This email provides an update on the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary information previously communicated to External Systems Points of Contact and CARES SPOCs on February 11, 2025.
We are excited to share that the initial version of the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary and legacy mapping of CWS/CMS is now available. We have also created a training video that provides a walkthrough of the materials, and a Webinar will be held on March 20, 2025 where staff can get further details and ask questions. See below for more details.
Updates since our last communication:
- CWS-CARES Data Dictionary Preview Session Complete: On February 13, 2025, a small group of counties previewed the Data Dictionary and provided feedback, which was incorporated into the Data Dictionary.
- New Microsoft Teams Channel: A dedicated Microsoft Teams channel has been created for all CWS-CARES Data Dictionary-related materials. Your county’s Implementation Coordinator and CWS-CARES Single Point of Contact (SPOC) will be invited to the MS Teams channel. The Teams Channel is located under the CWDS Org Share, and the Channel name is CARES Data Dictionary. See the below section For Reference: Accessing Materials in MS Teams for more instructions on how to access materials.
- CWS-CARES Data Dictionary and Legacy Mapping – Ready for Review: The initial version of the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary, which incorporates legacy mapping of CWS/CMS fields is now available in the Teams channel under Files. The folder name is CWS-CARES Data Dictionary v0.02.
- Training Video Available: A training video has been uploaded to the Teams channel under Files, in the folder called Walkthrough Recording. Please watch the video before reviewing the materials to ensure a clear understanding of the content.
- FAQ Document Available: A FAQ is located on the Teams channel under CARES Data Dictionary FAQs Tab.
- Terms of Use: The CWS-CARES Data Dictionary documentation is considered sensitive and confidential. Please read the CWDS Terms of Use located on the Teams channel under Files.
- Upcoming Webinar: A webinar will be conducted on Thursday, March 20, 2025 from 9 AM – 10 AM. Your county’s Implementation Coordinator and CWS-CARES SPOC will be invited, and the meeting invitation may be forwarded to others. The webinar will cover navigation of the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary, utilization of the support documentation, and use of legacy mapping documentation with the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary.
- Adding Staff to the Teams Channel: We kindly ask that you email CWDSDataManagement@osi.ca.gov with any additional County staff names and associated email addresses and their roles that should have access to the Microsoft Teams Channel: CARES Data Dictionary.
Publication and Ongoing Updates
- Updates to the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary will be published quarterly in the Teams channel. The next version will be available March 31, 2025.
- Future versions will include significant changes, including potential additional and updated legacy mapping.
Communication and Support
- Please refer to the FAQs in the Teams channel.
For Reference: Accessing Materials in MS Teams
Under CWDS Org Share, select the CARES Data Dictionary channel.
In the CARES Data Dictionary Channel, select the Files Tab. The initial version of the Data Dictionary is available in the folder called CWS-CARES Data Dictionary v0.02.
In the CARES Data Dictionary Channel, select the Files Tab. The recorded Training video walkthrough is available in the folder called Walkthrough Recording.
We appreciate your support and understanding as we work diligently to ensure the successful implementation and ongoing maintenance of the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary.
February 27, 2025
Communications
To: Core Constituent Points of Contact
The feedback you have provided in our quarterly Core Constituent Surveys is driving meaningful improvement in how we communicate, collaborate, and enhance the CWS-CARES experience. We are sharing a summary of the completed and in progress actions we have taken from your feedback.
Changes Made Based on Your Feedback
- Enhanced Feedback Process: You expressed a desire for better visibility into the status of the feedback you provide and clearer communication about the feedback process.
- Improved Meeting Scheduling and Experience: You shared that meetings should be scheduled in advance, a clear view of upcoming meetings should be available for planning, and agendas should include enough detail to help determine who needs to attend and assist with scheduling.
- A standardized Core Constituent Demonstration meeting invite template now includes specific details on agenda items and scenarios.
- The CWS-CARES Meeting Calendar is published monthly to reflect a 3 month view of upcoming meetings, including Core Constituent demonstrations, implementation meetings, and key workgroups. In Spring 2025, we will transition to a real-time meeting calendar on the CWDS webpage, ensuring accurate and up-to-date scheduling.
- Core Constituent demonstrations and key meetings are now scheduled at least 1 month in advance.
- Streamlined Access to Key Information: You requested big picture updates, an updated project roadmap, functionality updates, and demonstrations comparing CWS/CMS and CWS-CARES.
- The CARES Compass: Executive Summary and CARES Explorer: Project Newsletter keep stakeholders informed about project updates, including deep dives into service areas, system functionality, and interfaces.
- The updated CWDS Planning Roadmap is now available on the CWDS webpage.
- The CARES Experiences Timeline reflects organization activities and tasks that provide experiences for direct observation or participation in CWS-CARES up to Version 1 Go-Live.
- The Stakeholder Briefings include Product demonstrations with side-by-side comparisons of CWS/CMS and CWS-CARES.
Upcoming Changes
These items are planning for release in Spring 2025 to further enhance transparency and engagement:
- A Real-Time Meeting Calendar: A new CWDS Meeting & Event Calendar will launch on the webpage, ensuring accurate, up-to-date scheduling with direct access for Core Constituents.
- Big-Picture Project Updates: A Project Progress Summary will provide updates on CWS-CARES progress, including updates on Product, External Systems and Data Conversion, User Engagement, Implementation/OCM/Training, and Project Announcements/Engagement Opportunities.
- Core Constituent Orientation Guide: This resource will provide onboarding support resources for new Core Constituents, including links to key resources.
While there is still room for improvement, we want to keep you informed on what has been accomplished and what is underway. We will continue to share updates as we implement further enhancements.
Share Your Feedback in the Next Survey
We want to continue improving based on your input, and your participation is essential. Stay tuned for a request to complete the next Core Constituent Survey in March 2025.
Action Required
Please share this information with those at your organization who need to be updated.
February 25, 2025
Communications
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 3, 2025, beginning at 6:00 AM and concluding at 8:00 AM. 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.
As part of the maintenance activity the Adobe AEM server and form rendering will not be available during this period of time.
Action Required
No action required for end-users is needed 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.
February 25, 2025
Communications
All Pilot County RFA Implementation Coordinators and SPOCs:
The CWS-CARES team has scheduled maintenance activity for the CWS-CARES production environment for Thursday, February 27, 2025, beginning at 5:00 PM and concluding at 6:00 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.
There is no anticipated impact for CWS-CARES users. We are sharing this information in the unlikely circumstance that there is an actual impact during the scheduled maintenance window and the CWS-CARES application becomes inaccessible.
Action Required
No action required for end-users is needed 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.
February 24, 2025
Communications
All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:
February 24, 2025 UPDATE: Due to a schedule conflict with another maintenance window, this CARES-Live maintenance has been rescheduled to Thursday, February 27, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Users will still not be able to access the CARES-Live application during the re-scheduled outage.
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The CARES-Live team has scheduled maintenance for the CARES-Live application. The maintenance is scheduled for Thursday, February 27, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 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.
February 24, 2025
Communications
Registered EUST 2 Participants:
Thank you for your participation in the recently distributed Brief Survey for EUST 2 Planning. As we continue to prepare for the upcoming EUST 2 period, CWDS Project Leadership wishes to ensure that all testers have the best possible experience while participating in EUST 2. Part of ensuring a successful testing experience involves confirming that our testing participants are appropriately trained on navigating CWS-CARES. As such, the training activities planned for EUST 2 will be a requirement in order to participate in the testing process.
We understand that attending the training activities will require an additional time commitment from our participants. However, the hands-on learning opportunities and instructions that participants will be provided during the planned curriculum will prove to be crucial in ensuring that testers are able to effectively navigate the system and provide their feedback efficiently.
Training will be conducted between March 17 to March 21, 2025. The time required for each class is dependent on the tester role, as follows:
Case Management Worker, Eligibility Worker, and Court Worker: Approximately 6-hour class
Date(s) & Timing Offered:
- Daily, Monday (3/17) – Friday (3/21) - Please use the Brief Survey for EUST 2 Planning to indicate your training date preferences. Calendar invitations will be sent, and every effort will be made to accommodate respondents’ top choices.
- 9 – 4pm (Breaks Included)
- Following are the durations of topics covered for each tester role and are subject to change.
| EUST 2 Training: Case Management Worker |
Timing |
| Introduction to CARES and CARES Navigation |
30 min |
| Persons, Contacts and Tribal Inquiries and Documents, Change Assignment, Task |
1 hour |
| Introduction to Investigations Engagement & Determination |
45 min |
| Investigations Engagement & Determination |
| Practice |
| Introduction to Case Management |
1 hour |
| Emergency Placement pre-RFA Home |
| STRTP |
| Practice |
| Introduction to Eligibility |
30 min |
| Request Determination |
| Practice |
| Court Hearing Framework |
1 hour |
| Practice |
| Case |
30 min |
| Practice |
| JNET |
10 min |
| Practice |
Case Management Supervisor: 1-hour class
Date(s) & Timing Offered:
- Daily (Immediately following the Worker program noted above)
| EUST 2 Training: Case Management Supervisor |
Timing |
| Investigations, Determination and Supervisor |
30 min |
| Practice |
| Case Management Supervisor |
30 min |
| Practice |
Probation: Approximately 3-hour class
Date(s) Offered:
- Wednesday, 3/19, 9am – 12pm
- Thursday, 3/20, 9am – 12pm
| EUST 2 Training: Probation |
Timing |
| Introduction to CARES and CARES Navigation |
30 min |
| Persons, Contacts and Tribal Inquiries and Documents, Change Assignment, Task |
1 hour |
| Introduction to Case Management - Probation |
1 hour |
| Cases |
| Placement RFA/FFA |
| Request Determination – Eligibility |
| Practice |
CDSS/Resource Management: 1.5-hour class
Date(s) Offered:
- Wednesday, 3/19, 2pm – 3:30pm
- Thursday, 3/20, 2pm – 3:30pm
| EUST 2 Training: CDSS/Resource Management |
Timing |
| Introduction to CARES and CARES Navigation |
30 min |
| CDSS Oversight and Title IV E Staff Placement |
1 hour |
| Practice |
Makeup training will be offered on March 24 and March 25 from 9AM – 4PM.
Thank you again for your time and participation.
Action Required
Attend the required training sessions appropriate for your EUST 2 tester roles.
