June 27, 2025
Communications
External Systems Points of Contact, CARES SPOCs, County Leadership, CARES Implementation Coordinators, and OCM Coordinators:
This update covers the new CWS-CARES Data Dictionary version and introduces SqlDBM, a tool that will significantly improve how CWS-CARES Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) are visualized.
New Version Available on June 30, 2025: CWS-CARES Data Dictionary V0.04
- CWS-CARES Data Dictionary V0.04 will be available on the Microsoft Teams Channel:
CWS-CARES Data Dictionary under Files on Monday, June 30, 2025.
- The Intro tab of the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary highlights all updates in the new version, making it easy to see what is new or changed.
Visualizing CWS-CARES Data with SqlDBM
SqlDBM is an online tool that simplifies databases and data warehouse design and management. It enables users to view diagrams, known as Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs), which act as a visual aid to the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary. Users can click on elements, explore relationships, and gain a deeper understanding of the data definitions.
We are conducting an upcoming SqlDBM overview and training session. Here are the details:
- An Introduction to SqlDBM session, including a Q&A, will be held on July 22, 2025. This one‑hour session will guide users through the tool, supporting documentation, and address questions. We’ll send out invitations with the exact time and duration soon. The session will be recorded.
- Staff are highly encouraged to attend. Please share the session invitation with your county staff who may benefit from attending, including technical staff, data analysts, report/form writers and developers, and data extract partners.
- Additional office hours will be scheduled for the first week of August 2025. Invitations will be sent out later.
- More details about read‑only access to SqlDBM roll out to the Counties and data partners will be shared during the July 22, 2025 session.
Action Required
Please contact CWDSDataManagement@otsi.ca.gov if you have any questions.
We appreciate your support and understanding as we work diligently to ensure the successful implementation and ongoing maintenance of the CWS-CARES Data Dictionary.
March 24, 2025
Communications
All SPOCs and Training Contacts:
March 24, 2024 UPDATE: This is a reminder that the deadline to register for the R9.6 County Test Workshop (CTW) is tomorrow, Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
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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 contact CWDS Customer Relations.
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.
January 03, 2025
Customer Relations
Batch Merge and Data Cleanses are scheduled on a Weekly, Bi-Monthly, Semi-Annual, and Manually Directed basis.
For information regarding the Batch Merge & Data Cleanse Schedule, Cleansing Instructions, Issues List, FAQs, and other information, please visit the https://cwds.ca.gov/DQP
For additional information regarding the Batch Merge process and reports, please refer to the Automated Client Merge Training Guides located on the Training Portal | Child Welfare Digital Services You must have Training Portal access to view the documents. If you do not have access, contact your County's Single Point of Contact (SPOC).
Data Cleanses
- Update Education Provider School Number
- Standardize Addresses
- Education Enrollment Cleanup (SCR8844)
- End Assignments for Closed Finalized Adoption Cases (SCR 8750)
- Run Unknown Client Name Standardization (SCR 8842)
- Validate & Cleanse Client Demographic Data (SCR 8850)
- SSN Cleansing (SCR 8776)
- Reporter Badge Number Cleansing (SCR 8935)
- Other Adults Cleansing (SCR 8955)
- Multi Notebook Email Cleansing (SCR 8936)
- Service Provider NPI data Cleansing (SCR 8954)
- Staff Person Email Cleansing (SCR 8964)
- Other Child Data Cleansing (SCR 8961)
- Illogical Client Relationship Cleansing (SCR 8971)
- Validate & Cleanse SCP Demographic Data (SCR 8846)
- Staff Person Email Cleansing (SCR 8964)
- Deduplication Cleansing of Hearing (SCR 8970)
Batch Merges
- Bi-monthly Client
- Semi Annual SCP/Attorney
- Semi Annual Placement Home/Service Provider
- Distribute Quarterly SCP/Attorney/Service Provider/Placement Home Reports
- SCP Deduplication (SCR8912)
- Run Service Provider Merge (SCR 8794)
- Run Education Provider De-Duplication - Batch Merge (SCR 8653)
- Run Service Provider Address Merge
Manually Directed Merges
- FFACRFH and FFACH Homes (SCR 8856)
Contact the CWS_CustRel@osi.ca.gov if you have any questions.
August 22, 2024
Communications
All Data Quality Analysts and SPOCs:
Thank you for your ongoing support of CWS/CMS Data Quality clean up, engagement in the Data Quality workshops, and formulation of CWS/CMS System Changes that support Data Quality improvements. All the work efforts you have been engaged in will have a great impact to the success in the conversion of your CWS/CMS data to CWS-CARES. We are sending this email to make you aware that the project remains committed in supporting county data clean up and encourages counties to continue to leverage the Data Quality portal on the CWDS website for information related to opportunities to continue to perform ongoing data cleanup efforts.
Due to administrative delays, you will see a temporary pause for the Data Quality workgroup monthly engagement starting with the September 2024 planned meeting. A meeting cancellation is forthcoming. The project is seeking to reprocure Data Quality services that will continue to support your efforts. We are hoping to reengage the Data Quality workgroup within the next few months and encourage workgroup members that are part of the CARES Data Conversion workgroup to remain plugged into that effort. We would like to also thank James Sidebotham for his devotion to this workgroup and the extraordinary measurable accomplishments it has made over the past years. Stay tuned for more information in the upcoming month on when the workgroup will reengage.
Action Required
Continue to leverage the Data Quality portal on the CWDS website for information related to opportunities to continue to perform ongoing data cleanup efforts
