Child Welfare Leadership and Core Constituents,
As part of our ongoing effort to provide you greater insight into upcoming meetings for the CWS-CARES project, please see the attached updated CWS-CARES Meeting Calendar for November and December 2024 and January 2025. This calendar includes all meetings hosted by the CWS-CARES project, including Core Constituent demonstrations, implementation meetings, and key workgroups.
The calendar includes Core Constituent Build Review Demonstrations, which are a follow up to the Core Constituent Demonstrations of CARES prototypes that occurred in September and October. Participants may see feedback they provided during the prototype demonstrations incorporated into this Build Review. Please note that the CARES Product Team is still prioritizing some of the feedback and suggestions from the previous sessions. Please also note that invites will come from either the PaaS SI Product Team or the Rework mailboxes.
The CWS-CARES project is in the process of identifying Milestone User Feedback session dates for January 2025. Milestone User Feedback is a feedback period to test specific functionalities for a subset of milestones in the developed product before Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST), which will begin in March 2025.
Action Required
Please share this information with those at your organization you feel should be informed. Note: This calendar is point-in-time and subject to change. The CWS-CARES project aims to deliver a sustainable, more real-time calendar solution that will be accessible to all meeting participants and leadership in the future. If you have any questions, please contact CWS_CustRel@osi.ca.gov.
CWDS Bulletins
CWS/CMS: CWDS Website Update – APD Contacts
CWS SPOCs and existing APD Contacts:
We are pleased to announce an update to the Child Welfare Digital Services (CWDS) Contacts page on the CWDS website. In an ongoing effort to provide better customer service related to Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS) Advance Planning Documents (APD), a new Advance Planning Document Contact is being added to the CWDS Contacts page under the CWS tab. This new contact type addition will go live on Monday, December 2, 2024. This website update is intended to support the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), Child Welfare System Branch (CWSB) in its efforts to proactively communicate APD updates and guidance to the relevant county contacts.
We anticipate that this outreach initiative will provide improved support to county and tribal staff in the submission of APDs and will facilitate a more efficient review and approval process by CDSS for these requests.
Screenshot Showing New Advance Planning Document Contact:
Initial addition of Users
CDSS is working with the CWDS Web Team to add the known APD Contacts for each county. Again, these will begin to appear on Monday, December 2, 2024.
How to be added as a APD Contact
Single Points Of Contact (SPOC) can utilize the CWDS County Contacts Page Guide (attached) to add staff to this new contact area. Please contact your SPOC in order to be added.
Action Required
For questions related to this communication, please reach out to the CWSB at CWSB-Fiscal@otsi.ca.gov.
We are pleased to announce an update to the Child Welfare Digital Services (CWDS) Contacts page on the CWDS website. In an ongoing effort to provide better customer service related to Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS) Advance Planning Documents (APD), a new Advance Planning Document Contact is being added to the CWDS Contacts page under the CWS tab. This new contact type addition will go live on Monday, December 2, 2024. This website update is intended to support the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), Child Welfare System Branch (CWSB) in its efforts to proactively communicate APD updates and guidance to the relevant county contacts.
We anticipate that this outreach initiative will provide improved support to county and tribal staff in the submission of APDs and will facilitate a more efficient review and approval process by CDSS for these requests.
Screenshot Showing New Advance Planning Document Contact:
Initial addition of Users
CDSS is working with the CWDS Web Team to add the known APD Contacts for each county. Again, these will begin to appear on Monday, December 2, 2024.
How to be added as a APD Contact
Single Points Of Contact (SPOC) can utilize the CWDS County Contacts Page Guide (attached) to add staff to this new contact area. Please contact your SPOC in order to be added.
Action Required
For questions related to this communication, please reach out to the CWSB at CWSB-Fiscal@otsi.ca.gov.
CWS-CARES: CARES Compass – Issue 5 – November 2024
CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, County, Tribe, Probation, State Leadership, OCM Coordinators and specific CWDA Staff related to child welfare
We are pleased to present the fifth issue of the CARES Compass, the two-page executive summary with upcoming project communications and brief informational highlights.
In this issue, you will find:
We appreciate your continued commitment to staying informed.
Action Required
If you have any questions, need clarification, or have any accessibility issues, please do not hesitate to contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@osi.ca.gov.
We are pleased to present the fifth issue of the CARES Compass, the two-page executive summary with upcoming project communications and brief informational highlights.
In this issue, you will find:
- CWDS Planning Roadmap Update: The CWDS Planning Roadmap is enhanced with milestone descriptions, critical training and implementation activities, and Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) periods. A high-level roadmap focusing on the CARES V1 Project Lifecycle is also available.
- Stakeholder Briefings Series: We're pleased to announce the dates for all upcoming Stakeholder Briefing sessions. These sessions will provide you with valuable insights into CWS-CARES and an opportunity to ask questions.
- Core Constituent Survey 2: We describe how we are applying the feedback collected from this survey.
- Holistic Design Update: We share statistics on the feedback and sessions conducted related to holistic design.
- Upcoming Events and Communications: A list of CWS-CARES communications that will be released in the next three months.
We appreciate your continued commitment to staying informed.
Action Required
If you have any questions, need clarification, or have any accessibility issues, please do not hesitate to contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@osi.ca.gov.
CWS/CMS: October 2024 Workstation Patches
All Co-Existent County SPOCs and Technical Contacts:
As requested, here is the list of patches that IBM tested and applied to the Dedicated County Windows 10 Workstations for October 2024:
MS Windows 10 22H2 Patches
MS24-OCT: Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10 - KB5044020 (x64) Important
MS24-OCT: Cumulative Update for Windows 10 - KB5044273 (x64) Critical
MS Windows 10 21H2 Patches
MS24-OCT: Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10 - KB5044020 (x64) Important
MS24-OCT: Cumulative Update for Windows 10 - KB5044273 (x64) Critical
MS Windows 1607 (LTSB) Patches
MS24-OCT: Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 Version 1607 - KB5044021 (x64) Important
MS24-OCT: Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 - KB5044293 (x64) Important
MS Office 2016 Patches
MS24-OCT: Security Update for Microsoft Excel 2016 - KB5002643 Important
MS24-OCT: Security Update for Microsoft Office 2016 - KB5002635 Important
Office 365 Patches
Office 365 Version 16.0.18025.20104 Available - Current Channel - Office 365 (English (United States)) Important - Unspecified
Mozilla Firefox Patches
TS - Mozilla Firefox (x64) 128.3.1 ESR Available 10/1/2024 – High mfsa2024-47
Action Required
No action is required. Informational only.
As requested, here is the list of patches that IBM tested and applied to the Dedicated County Windows 10 Workstations for October 2024:
MS Windows 10 22H2 Patches
MS24-OCT: Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10 - KB5044020 (x64) Important
MS24-OCT: Cumulative Update for Windows 10 - KB5044273 (x64) Critical
MS Windows 10 21H2 Patches
MS24-OCT: Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10 - KB5044020 (x64) Important
MS24-OCT: Cumulative Update for Windows 10 - KB5044273 (x64) Critical
MS Windows 1607 (LTSB) Patches
MS24-OCT: Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 Version 1607 - KB5044021 (x64) Important
MS24-OCT: Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 - KB5044293 (x64) Important
MS Office 2016 Patches
MS24-OCT: Security Update for Microsoft Excel 2016 - KB5002643 Important
MS24-OCT: Security Update for Microsoft Office 2016 - KB5002635 Important
Office 365 Patches
Office 365 Version 16.0.18025.20104 Available - Current Channel - Office 365 (English (United States)) Important - Unspecified
Mozilla Firefox Patches
TS - Mozilla Firefox (x64) 128.3.1 ESR Available 10/1/2024 – High mfsa2024-47
Action Required
No action is required. Informational only.
CARES-Live Meeting Role Added to the CWDS Website
All SPOCs:
As discussed at the last CARES-Live Meeting in September, we will now be using a newly added ‘Role’ on the CWDS website (cwds.ca.gov) as our foundation for the CARES-Live Quarterly Meeting attendees list. This new ‘Role’ allows a user to self-select it to be added to the new CARES-Live Quarterly Meeting series, beginning in January 2025.
In an effort to form this list and perform some distribution list cleanup, we kindly ask that you follow the steps detailed in the attached ‘CARES-Live Profile – Create Account’ document, to add the role to your CWDS website profile.
Please complete this by 5:00 PM on November 27, 2024, so that we have sufficient time to create the new CARES-Live Quarterly Meeting series and send out the invite to everyone who wants to participate in the meeting.
Action Required
Please share this information with any relevant individuals in your organization who may be interested in attending this meeting series. If you have any questions or issues on the process to add this role to your profile, please reach out to Customer Relations.
As discussed at the last CARES-Live Meeting in September, we will now be using a newly added ‘Role’ on the CWDS website (cwds.ca.gov) as our foundation for the CARES-Live Quarterly Meeting attendees list. This new ‘Role’ allows a user to self-select it to be added to the new CARES-Live Quarterly Meeting series, beginning in January 2025.
In an effort to form this list and perform some distribution list cleanup, we kindly ask that you follow the steps detailed in the attached ‘CARES-Live Profile – Create Account’ document, to add the role to your CWDS website profile.
Please complete this by 5:00 PM on November 27, 2024, so that we have sufficient time to create the new CARES-Live Quarterly Meeting series and send out the invite to everyone who wants to participate in the meeting.
Action Required
Please share this information with any relevant individuals in your organization who may be interested in attending this meeting series. If you have any questions or issues on the process to add this role to your profile, please reach out to Customer Relations.
CWDS Website Update – Revised CWDS Planning Roadmap
All SPOCs:
We are pleased to announce an update to the CWDS Planning Roadmap posted on the CWDS public website. The updated roadmap illustrates planned releases in the following systems: CARES-Live, CARES RFA and CWS/CMS. The updated planning roadmap includes CARES Version 1 (V1) milestone descriptions, critical training and implementation activities, and Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) periods. In addition to the CWDS Planning Roadmap, we are posting a high-level roadmap focusing on the CARES V1 Project Lifecycle.
Accessing the new page:
Action Required
If you have any questions, need clarification, or have any accessibility issues, please do not hesitate to contact CWDS Communications.
We are pleased to announce an update to the CWDS Planning Roadmap posted on the CWDS public website. The updated roadmap illustrates planned releases in the following systems: CARES-Live, CARES RFA and CWS/CMS. The updated planning roadmap includes CARES Version 1 (V1) milestone descriptions, critical training and implementation activities, and Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) periods. In addition to the CWDS Planning Roadmap, we are posting a high-level roadmap focusing on the CARES V1 Project Lifecycle.
Accessing the new page:
- The CWDS Planning Roadmap and high-level CWS-CARES V1 Project Lifecycle is located under the ‘Stakeholder Resources’ dropdown, under the ‘Project Reporting’ link.
- Under ‘Project Reporting’ you will find the ‘CWDS Planning Roadmap & Timeline’ link.
Action Required
If you have any questions, need clarification, or have any accessibility issues, please do not hesitate to contact CWDS Communications.
CWS/CMS: Business Objects Issue and Workaround
All SPOCs, Technical Contacts, and CAD Contacts:
An issue has been discovered with the current version of Business Objects used with the CWS/CMS application.
Issue Description:
Whenever a numeric field, such as government entity code, is used as a condition in a data provider (query), the query will run correctly the first time. Whenever the data provider is edited, the system will return a type mismatch error and require the user to remove and re-add the condition. The query will then run, as long as it is not edited again.
This only appears to be an issue with numeric fields; character fields, such as Client Name, do not experience this issue. Once the query is run, it operates normally as long as the user does not go back and edit the data provider. The user can refresh the data and save, as well as edit the report formatting, without issue.
Issue Resolution:
A patch level update will be required to resolve the issue. The CWDS Office and IBM are evaluating the next Business Objects patch to determine if it will resolve the issue, without generating any new issues. There is currently no estimated time of when the patch will be implemented. Additional updates will be sent out as new information is received.
Workaround:
When Business Objects informs the user of a type mismatch error after a numeric field is used as a condition in a data provider, and the data provider is edited, then the user must remove and re-enter the condition. The query will run, without issue, as long as the data provider is not edited again.
Action Required
Until the issue is corrected with the appropriate patch update, users will need to perform the workaround listed above, by removing and re-entering the condition when they receive a type mismatch error message.
An issue has been discovered with the current version of Business Objects used with the CWS/CMS application.
Issue Description:
Whenever a numeric field, such as government entity code, is used as a condition in a data provider (query), the query will run correctly the first time. Whenever the data provider is edited, the system will return a type mismatch error and require the user to remove and re-add the condition. The query will then run, as long as it is not edited again.
This only appears to be an issue with numeric fields; character fields, such as Client Name, do not experience this issue. Once the query is run, it operates normally as long as the user does not go back and edit the data provider. The user can refresh the data and save, as well as edit the report formatting, without issue.
Issue Resolution:
A patch level update will be required to resolve the issue. The CWDS Office and IBM are evaluating the next Business Objects patch to determine if it will resolve the issue, without generating any new issues. There is currently no estimated time of when the patch will be implemented. Additional updates will be sent out as new information is received.
Workaround:
When Business Objects informs the user of a type mismatch error after a numeric field is used as a condition in a data provider, and the data provider is edited, then the user must remove and re-enter the condition. The query will run, without issue, as long as the data provider is not edited again.
Action Required
Until the issue is corrected with the appropriate patch update, users will need to perform the workaround listed above, by removing and re-entering the condition when they receive a type mismatch error message.
CWS-CARES Scheduled Maintenance - Nov.1, 2024 | 6 AM - 8 AM
All Pilot County RFA Implementation Coordinators and SPOCs:
The CWS-CARES team has scheduled maintenance activity for the CWS-CARES production environment for Friday, November 1, 2024, 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 Contra Costa, Fresno, Placer, and Santa Clara.
During the maintenance window, document related functionality in the CARES application will not be accessible.
Action Required
No action required from end-users during this maintenance window.
If users experience any issues with the CWS-CARES, please follow your county process for reporting issues. CWS-CARES County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at Servicedesk@cwds.ca.gov during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.
The CWS-CARES team has scheduled maintenance activity for the CWS-CARES production environment for Friday, November 1, 2024, 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 Contra Costa, Fresno, Placer, and Santa Clara.
During the maintenance window, document related functionality in the CARES application will not be accessible.
Action Required
No action required from end-users during this maintenance window.
If users experience any issues with the CWS-CARES, please follow your county process for reporting issues. CWS-CARES County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at Servicedesk@cwds.ca.gov during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.
CWS/CMS in Read-Only during Daylight Saving Time Change - Nov. 3, 2024 | 1 AM - 2 AM
All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:
The CWS/CMS application will be in read-only mode for one hour during the time change from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time on Sunday, November 3, 2024. To prevent duplicate time stamps, users will not be able to save to the database starting at 1:00 AM, after the clocks have been moved back from 2:00 AM. The application will return to the normal read/write mode at 2:00 AM Standard Time.
This will not affect CWS-CARES or CARES-Live.
Action Required
Contact the IBM Help Desk (800-428-8268) if the CWS/CMS application has not returned to read/write mode after 2:00 AM Standard Time.
The CWS/CMS application will be in read-only mode for one hour during the time change from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time on Sunday, November 3, 2024. To prevent duplicate time stamps, users will not be able to save to the database starting at 1:00 AM, after the clocks have been moved back from 2:00 AM. The application will return to the normal read/write mode at 2:00 AM Standard Time.
This will not affect CWS-CARES or CARES-Live.
Action Required
Contact the IBM Help Desk (800-428-8268) if the CWS/CMS application has not returned to read/write mode after 2:00 AM Standard Time.
CWS/CMS: Virtual Private Network (VPN) Outage - RESOLVED
All Dedicated County SPOCs and Technical Contacts:
October 22, 2024 UPDATE: The California Department of Technology (CDT) has reported that Cisco AnyConnect Virtual Private Network (VPN) is now accessible. CDT continues to investigate and work on this issue, but VPN access appears to be stable. Users should now be able to access VPN. CDT and the CWDS Infrastructure team will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that the connection continues to remain.
Please notify the IBM Help Desk (800-428-8268) if you encounter an issue with connecting to VPN.
________________________________________________________________________
Multiple counties and the CWDS Project office have reported issues with connecting to the Cisco AnyConnect Virtual Private Network (VPN). The CWDS Infrastructure team is working with the California Department of Technology (CDT) to resolve this issue.
There is currently no estimated time of resolution for this problem. Additional communications will be sent out as new information is received.
Action Required
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.
October 22, 2024 UPDATE: The California Department of Technology (CDT) has reported that Cisco AnyConnect Virtual Private Network (VPN) is now accessible. CDT continues to investigate and work on this issue, but VPN access appears to be stable. Users should now be able to access VPN. CDT and the CWDS Infrastructure team will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that the connection continues to remain.
Please notify the IBM Help Desk (800-428-8268) if you encounter an issue with connecting to VPN.
________________________________________________________________________
Multiple counties and the CWDS Project office have reported issues with connecting to the Cisco AnyConnect Virtual Private Network (VPN). The CWDS Infrastructure team is working with the California Department of Technology (CDT) to resolve this issue.
There is currently no estimated time of resolution for this problem. Additional communications will be sent out as new information is received.
Action Required
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.
If unable to find a specific Bulletin, please contact Communications.