CWDS Bulletins

SPOCs, Technical Contacts, and CAD Contacts:

July 3, 2026 UPDATE: The issue that prevented Business Intelligence (BI) reports from running has been resolved. BI users should now be able to access their reports without any issues.

Action Required

Review and validate your BI reports.

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

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Multiple counties have reported that their scheduled Business Intelligence (BI) reports did not run and then received the following error message when they attempted to open a report in BI:

Updates will be provided as new information is received or status when the status has changed.

Action Required

Review scheduled BO reports today and tomorrow morning. Rerun the report jobs, as necessary, when allowed.

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

As previously noted on the login page banner earlier this week, the CWS-CARES Production Simulation (Prod Sim) environment (CARES100) will be temporarily unavailable due to scheduled system maintenance. Here are the outage details:

Start Time: Thursday, July 2 at 5:00 PM

End Time: Monday, July 6 at 8:00 AM

During this time, users will not be able to log in or access the environment. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience as we complete these necessary system updates.

Action Required

No action is required.

SPOCs, Technical Contacts, and CAD Contacts:

Multiple counties have reported that their scheduled Business Intelligence (BI) reports did not run and then received the following error message when they attempted to open a report in BI:

Updates will be provided as new information is received or status when the status has changed.

Action Required

Review scheduled BO reports today and tomorrow morning. Rerun the report jobs, as necessary, when allowed.

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

We want to share an important update on the CWS-CARES Train-the-Trainer (TTT) schedule, to support county requests for more preparation time and ensure seamless training experiences. TTT will now be conducted from July 20 to August 28, 2026 (shifted from the original July 6 - August 14 timeline).

Why We Are Making the Adjustment

More Prod Sim Time: Counties need more time in the Prod Sim environment for their users to complete prerequisites and build system familiarity while data scenarios and bugs are finalized.

Improved Environment Stability: It allows time to resolve open bugs, interface readiness, and data load issues to minimize training disruptions.

Better Timing: This shortens the gap between TTT, Instructor-Led Training (ILT), and Go-Live, boosting knowledge retention. We are currently analyzing its potential impact on ILT dates.

What Is Next

CWS-CARES Training Coordinators will contact Organization Training Coordinators directly to share specific TTT dates and registration details for each organization.

Next week we will share detailed preparation steps, including prerequisites, recommended enablement program sequencing, and environment access confirmations.

Thank you for your flexibility and your continued partnership as we prepare for a successful rollout.

Action Required

If you have questions about how this impacts your training plan or prerequisites, please connect with your training coordinator or CWDS Training.

County SPOCs and Implementation Coordinators – Binti Counties

As part of the CWS-CARES implementation, your county’s Binti data has been converted and is ready for review.  

Counties will have access to the CARES 105 testing environment from Monday, July 6, through August 4, 2026 to validate converted data and report issues. Please note that this environment reflects Binti data extracted as of April 24, 2026.   

Submit Testers for CARES 105 Binti Data

Please submit your county’s list of up to five (5) testers using the survey link below by COB Thursday, July 2, 2026, to ensure access is provisioned by the July 6 opening date.  

Survey link: CARES 105 Binti Data Validation Testers  

Submissions received after the July 2 deadline will be processed as quickly as possible.  

Selected testers should be familiar with the Binti-to-CWS-CARES data mapping and conversion logic, and must be active CWS/CMS users (required for CARES 105 environment access). 

Please submit one consolidated response per county. Counties will need to provide the following details for each tester: 

• First name 
• Last name 
• Email address 
• CWS LoginID  
• ObjectID (if available from your county’s Active Directory/Azure) 

Instructions for how to log into the CARES 105 environment will be sent directly to your identified participants once their account is provisioned. If you identify a data mapping discrepancy during validation, please report it following your county’s standard ticketing process. 

Questions? 

If you have questions, please contact the External Systems Data Conversion Mailbox. Thank you for your support in preparing for the upcoming data conversion activities.

Action Required

Please submit your county’s list of up to five (5) testers using the survey by COB Thursday, July 2, 2026, to ensure access is provisioned by the July 6 opening date. 

In this Weekly Digest:

• CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #8 Recap | Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #9  
• CWS-CARES Prod Sim & Environment Status Update – 6/22/2026 
• Train-the-Trainer Enablement Kickoff Sessions Recap 
• CWS-CARES Data Dictionary Version 0.11 Now Available 
• The June 2026 Progress and Engagement Summary is Now Available
• CWS-CARES Environment for User Access: June 2026 Update
• CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: June 29, 2026 

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CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #8 Recap | Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #9

CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #8 – June 24, 2026:  

Thank you to everyone who attended CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #8 on Wednesday, June 24, 2026! We were pleased to have 452 participants across 43 counties and over 5+ partner organizations join the session live. We received 53 questions during the session, which we are working to answer and share with you as soon as possible.  

The session recording is now available on the Stakeholder Webinar Materials | Child Welfare Digital Services page under Stakeholder Briefing #8. 

Please log in with your county or organization email address to view the recording. An accessible PDF of the presentation slides and a summary of the session Q&A will be available in the coming weeks in the same location.  

CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #9 – July 22, 2026:  

Registration is now open for the next CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing! We encourage you to attend Stakeholder Briefing #9 on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Register now. 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 impacted by the changes to CWS-CARES are welcome to attend. Updates will include:  

• Production Simulation 
  • Preparations for onboarding 
  • Available Functionality 
  • Status of environment fixes  
• Implementation & Training  

View the full agenda on CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #9: July 2026. We hope to see you on July 22, 2026!  

Please contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov with any questions. 

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CWS-CARES Prod Sim & Environment Status Update – 6/22/2026 

The CWS-CARES Project distributed an important update on June 22, 2026 regarding the status of the CWS-CARES Production Simulation (Prod Sim, or CARES 100) and other environments as the project tracks toward CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1) Go-Live on October 26, 2026. 

The update includes a detailed living document outlining the current capabilities, limitations, and system status as of June 22 for Prod Sim and other environments. The document covers: 

• Known & Expected Issues, Current System Behavior: Highlights of known and expected issues, and current system behaviors users might encounter, focusing primarily on data-related issues. 
• Resolved Issues: A summary of resolved bugs and defects. Users should report these if any unexpected behavior persists within these specific areas. 
• Open/Reported Issues, Capabilities Not Available on June 22: A generalized overview of current Prod Sim issues classified by subject area; please note this does not represent the entirety of all reported active issues. 
• Forms Status: A dedicated status update on the readiness and functionality of project forms. 
• Environment Specifications 

Please note that the document is a living resource and will be updated regularly, with the next updates scheduled for July 6 and August 4. 

For the full update and attached documents, visit the CWS-CARES Prod Sim & Environment Status Update – 6/22/2026 page on the CWDS website. 

Please contact Customer Relations for questions: CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov. 

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Train-the-Trainer Enablement Kickoff Sessions Recap 

On June 17, 2026, the CWS-CARES Project hosted two Train‑the‑Trainer (TTT) Enablement Kickoff sessions, welcoming 650+ attendees across both sessions. Participants reviewed the purpose of TTT Enablement, learned how to log into the Training Environment (CARES 104), viewed a live demonstration of the Enablement Programs, and received an overview of the support model that will be available to trainers in the coming weeks.  

About Train-the-Trainer Enablement 

TTT is designed to provide county trainers and key staff early access and hands‑on practice with CWS-CARES before formal training begins. This preparation is delivered through Enablement Programs, which are built‑in, on‑screen training guides within CARES that walk users through real workflows using step‑by‑step instructions. This approach helps trainers build confidence and ensures organizations are well-equipped to support their teams.  

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CWS-CARES Data Dictionary Version 0.11 Now Available 

CWS-CARES Data Dictionary V0.11 is now available on the Microsoft Teams Channel: CARES Data Dictionary under the “Shared” tab as of Monday, June 29, 2026. Check the Intro tab of the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary for the detailed list of updates included in the new version. 

Here are some highlights for the updates: 

• Added New Data Usage column to the Columns tab to improve visibility into field usage. 
• Renamed the Length Notation tab to Additional Information. 

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The June 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 June Progress and Engagement Summary  features engagement analytics for the May 2026 reporting period across the following subject areas: 

• Project Communications 
• Stakeholder Briefing #7 – May 2026 
• Forms and Data 
• External Systems, Interfaces, and Analytics 
• Implementation, OCM, and Training Activities 
• Production Simulation 

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

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CWS-CARES Environment for User Access: June 2026 Update

The CWS-CARES Project has published an updated overview of system environments as of June 2026. The CWS-CARES Environments for User Access: June 2026 Update provides a point-in-time overview of system environments, including their purpose, access, and availability, to support testing, training, and readiness activities ahead of Go-Live.  

This resource is available on the CWS-CARES User Resources of the CWDS website.  

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CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: June 29, 2026 

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

June 29, 2026 FAQ of the Week: 

Q: Who will be responsible for adding users to the FFPSA and RFA portals?

A: The County Administrator will be responsible for adding county users to county FFPSA and RFA portals.

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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All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

The CARES-Live team has scheduled monthly Infrastructure maintenance for Thursday, June 25, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. During this scheduled maintenance, the CARES-Live team will deploy infrastructure updates, and security patches that are not visible to users of CARES-Live.

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.

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

We are sharing an important update regarding the CWS-CARES Production Simulation (Prod Sim) and other environments as we track toward our CWS-CARES Version 1 Go-Live on October 26, 2026.

CWS-CARES Prod Sim (CARES 100) will be continuously enhanced with planned, coordinated releases leading up to the October Go-Live. The final CWS-CARES V1 Production environment will reflect the latest code deployed in Prod Sim; consequently, Prod Sim's exact features will evolve over the coming months.

A primary objective of Prod Sim is to validate system functionality in place of a traditional pilot, ensuring that the statewide deployment of CWS-CARES maintains our commitment to child safety. Prod Sim provides the most accurate, up-to-date representation of the system available. We recommend that organizations actively utilize Prod Sim to support readiness and enable staff to test and validate. Please note that while Prod Sim reflects the core design, we are continuously fixing defects ahead of launch. Detailed communications will be shared by July 6 to outline the exact features and fixes included in the V1 release versus those scheduled for post-Go-Live.

Attached to this email is a detailed document outlining the current capabilities, limitations, and system status as of June 22, 2026, for CWS-CARES Prod Sim and other environments. This resource is designed to provide clarity on what to expect, what has changed, and how to understand the current system behavior.

Please note that the attachment is a living document. We will refresh this framework regularly, with the next updates scheduled for July 6 and August 4.

The attached document covers:

Prod Sim

1. June 22^nd User Onboarding & Objectives: An overview of the June 22 Production Simulation onboarding group, their designated objectives, and the schedule for subsequent July onboarding. This includes a summary of the adjustments made to the original onboarding requests and the plan forward.
2. Known & Expected Issues, Current System Behavior: Highlights of known and expected issues, and current system behaviors users might encounter, focusing primarily on data-related issues.
3. Resolved Issues: A summary of resolved bugs and defects. Users should report these if any unexpected behavior persists within these specific areas.
4. Open/Reported Issues, Capabilities Not Available on June 22: A generalized overview of current Prod Sim issues classified by subject area; please note this does not represent the entirety of all reported active issues.
5. Forms Status: A dedicated status update on the readiness and functionality of project forms.

Environment Specifications

• We are sharing information on the current operational status and specifications of the CWS-CARES environments including the configuration, data sets, access rights, and feature availability.

We acknowledge how critical these environment insights are to your planning, and we remain fully committed to partnering with you to ensure a smooth transition. We will continue to keep you informed with our next update scheduled for July 6. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to preparing your teams for the V1 Go-Live.

Action Required

No action is required.

Please contact Customer Relations for questions: CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov