Risk assessment can help line staff make better decisions. Research has consistently demonstrated that simple actuarial tools can assess risk more accurately than even a well-trained clinical staff person. Objectives of the structured decision making model are to introduce structure to critical decision points in the child welfare system, increase the consistency and validity of decision making, target resources to families most at risk, and improve the effectiveness of Child Protective Services. The structured decision making model is based on four primary principles. First, decisions can be significantly improved when structured appropriately, i.e., specific criteria must be considered for every case by every worker through highly structured assessment procedures. Second, priorities given cases must correspond directly to the results of the assessment process. Expectations of staff must be clearly defined and practice standards must be readily measurable. The third principle is that virtually everything an agency does is a response to the assessment process. Fourth, a single, rigidly defined model cannot meet the needs of every agency. Figures, references, appendixes