Summarizes the literature on child protective services (CPS) for both state and county, proposed changes to improve them, and demonstrations and other initiatives currently under way. Agencies and advocates continue to debate the appropriate response to individuals who mistreat their children, and the traditional CPS system neither accommodates changing standards nor recognizes the limitations of standardized practices. In almost all states, selected changes are occurring in CPS practice and policy at different levels, among them: (1) introducing family assessment or differential response systems; (2) creating or sustaining community-centered service delivery systems; (3) clarifying the relationship between CPS and law enforcement; (4) increasing collaboration between CPS agencies and alcohol and other drug agencies; and (5) fostering collaboration between CPS and domestic violence agencies. Common to these initiatives is a new interest in matching intervention to a particular philosophical model,rather than letting caseworkers make intervention decisions. A larger study provides a comprehensive picture of the complexities of CPS work.
