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CDSS says CWS CARES modernization on track; LAO urges milestone-linked oversight
Summary
CDSS officials said the CWS Cares child-welfare information system is in its final development phase and scheduled for statewide implementation in October 2026; LAO recommended reducing the initial appropriation and attaching provisional release of funds to adoption/readiness milestones.
CDSS and the state technology office described the final 18-month push to implement CWS CARES — the new statewide child-welfare case management system — and cautioned that late-stage testing, production pilots and user adoption are the largest remaining risks.
Project sponsor Jessica Rougeau said the project is about 18 months from statewide implementation in October 2026 and that recent schedule shifts to incorporate tiered-rate functionality and other scope require higher expenditures in FY 2025–26 compared with prior years. The project team said it will provide statewide training beginning in August 2026 for approximately 30,000 users, complete data-conversion testing with counties, and run two large end-user scenario testing periods prior to go-live.
Cynthia Tucker from the Office of Technology and Solutions Integration named key risks: discovery of complex defects during a production pilot that could require short delays; the need for robust testing and early detection; and external events (for example, wildfires or other disasters) that could disrupt an all-at-once statewide rollout. Tucker said mitigation strategies include expanded development and testing capacity and a production pilot to exercise the system before going statewide.
The Legislative Analyst's Office recommended the legislature reduce the initial appropriation (citing historic underspending) and attach provisional budget language requiring the administration to demonstrate user-readiness, testing milestones and adoption before accessing additional funds. CDSS told the committee the overall project budget remains unchanged and that shifted spending will be used to complete remaining scope in FY 2025–26.
Chair Jackson asked LAO and the administration to continue working together on milestone-based oversight and for regular reporting on readiness and spend-down plans.
