REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2026
FROM
JEANY GLASGOW, Director, Children and Family Services
SUBJECT
Title
Contract with Deloitte Consulting LLP for Child Welfare Services - California Automated Response and Engagement System Implementation Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Contract with Deloitte Consulting LLP, including non-standard terms, to provide Child Welfare Services - California Automated Response and Engagement System implementation services, in an amount not-to-exceed $701,500, for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028.
2. Authorize the Director of Children and Family Services to sign Change Orders, to add or remove services from the scope of work.
3. Direct the Director of Children and Family Services to transmit the Change Orders, to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Jeany Glasgow, Director, 658-1181)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Foster Sustainable Development Through Strategic Partnerships.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total cost of these services will not exceed $701,500. Funding for this contract is provided through the California Automated Response and Engagement System (CARES) Implementation Funds, funded by 50% Federal ($350,750) and 50% State ($350,750). Adequate appropriation and revenue are included in the Human Services Administrative Claim 2026-27 budget and will be included in the 2027-28 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Child Welfare Services - California Automated Response and Engagement System (CWS-CARES), maintained and operated by Child Welfare Digital Services (CWDS), is being implemented to replace the existing Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS). CWDS is a collaboration of California State and local government agencies that support our shared stakeholders through technology to assure the safety, permanency, and well-being of children at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation.
CWDS is dedicated to building a child welfare information system that is responsive to user needs while maintaining the high standards for security and data integrity. The system is intended to support child welfare professionals in providing critical services, oversight and case management for our most vulnerable populations. CWS-CARES is a modernized, web-based child welfare information system which will replace the legacy CWS/CMS platform, enabling social workers to manage cases more efficiently, automate reporting processes, and improve overall service delivery. State of California Assembly Bill 1603 (AB1603), section 26, updated the Welfare and Institutions Code to declare that, "CWS-NS, now known as CWS-CARES, is the most important system in the state for child welfare services staff to ensure the safety and wellbeing of California’s children.”
The State established an October 2026 implementation deadline for CWS-CARES. Initial guidance and support provided to counties was limited, requiring counties to assume significant responsibility for implementation planning, readiness, training, and change-management activities. Given the scope of the effort and the State-mandated timeline, Children and Family Services (CFS) was required to begin implementation activities immediately to support a successful transition. Delays in securing implementation support could impact organizational readiness activities, including stakeholder engagement, communications, training coordination, change management, business process alignment, and user adoption planning. Implementation efforts began in August 2025, prior to the release of State guidance in October 2025. During the early stages of the CWS-CARES Implementation Project (Project), limited information was available from the State regarding implementation requirements, County responsibilities, and support needs. In addition, Project direction and requirements continued to evolve, and a State-directed freeze further impacted planning efforts. As additional guidance became available and implementation needs were better understood, CFS was able to define the scope of services required and subsequently initiated the procurement process.
The recommended contract with Deloitte Consulting LLP (Deloitte) will provide support to CFS in preparation for the implementation of CWS-CARES. Implementation services include assistance with policy and process documentation updates, development of approximately 150 forms, development of workflows, business process mapping, training, Information Technology (IT) readiness activities, including coordination of network and backend configuration efforts among County and Project stakeholders, and go-live support.
Authorizing the Director of Children and Family Services to sign Change Orders to add or remove services from the scope of work will provide CFS with operational flexibility while maintaining the contract's maximum not-to-exceed amount of $701,500. Should the State issue additional guidance or revised requirements during the CWS-CARES implementation process, this delegated authority would enable CFS to make necessary adjustments to implementation activities with Deloitte in a timely manner and avoid potential implementation delays.
While the parties negotiated certain terms of the contract, Deloitte was unwilling to agree to all County standard terms. The non-standard and missing terms include the following:
1. Deloitte will provide only a limited indemnification of the County.
• The County standard contract indemnity provision requires the contractor to indemnify, defend, and hold County harmless from third party claims arising out of the acts, errors, or omissions of any person.
• Potential Impact: Deloitte is not required to defend, indemnify, or hold the County harmless from any claims. The County may be solely liable for the costs of defense and damages, which could exceed the total contract amount.
2. The contract does not include certain standard County insurance requirements, including naming the County as an additional named insured with respect to the liabilities arising out of the performances of the services under the contract.
• The County standard contract requires contractors to carry appropriate insurance at limits and under conditions determined by the County’s Risk Management Department.
• Potential Impact: The County has no assurance that Deloitte will be financially responsible for claims that may arise under the contract.
3. Deloitte’s maximum liability to the County is limited to the fees paid by the County for services under the contract.
• The County standard contract does not include a limitation of liability.
• Potential Impact: Claims could exceed the liability cap and the contract amount leaving the County financially liable for the excess.
CFS recommends approval of this contract as Deloitte’s implementation activities will help ensure a successful transition from CWS/CMS to CWS-CARES. The transition to CWS-CARES will require extensive organizational readiness activities, including stakeholder engagement, business process analysis, change-management, communication planning, training coordination, user adoption support, and implementation readiness assessments. Without dedicated implementation support, the County risks operational disruptions, reduced user adoption, inconsistent business processes, and challenges associated with transitioning staff from the legacy system to the new platform. Deloitte will assist the County in preparing staff and leadership for the transition, identifying and mitigating implementation risks, supporting readiness activities, and helping ensure a smooth and successful adoption of CWS-CARES. Upon expiration of this contract, CFS will evaluate its ongoing business needs and, if continued services are required, intends to pursue a formal procurement process in accordance with County procurement requirements.
PROCUREMENT
Purchasing supports the non-competitive procurement of CWS-CARES implementation services based on timing constraints. Due to the State's October 2026 implementation deadline and the late release of implementation guidance in October 2025, there was insufficient time to conduct a formal RFP process. Deloitte has significant and substantial organizational experience with the CWS-CARES Implementation Project at the State level, having served as the State's implementation partner for the past five years.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services (Lisa Rivas-Ordaz, Contracts Manager, 388-0222) on May 27, 2026; County Counsel (Daniella V. Hernandez, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 18, 2026; Risk Management (Stephanie Pacheco, Staff Analyst II, 386-9039) on June 17, 2026; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2464) on June 4, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (John Hallen, Principal Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on June 3, 2026.