The literature review is part of a larger study of State and county CPS systems and reform efforts. The review provides one conceptual framework from which to understand issues facing CPS systems and reform efforts and to identify demonstrations and initiatives being implemented. Results revealed that proposals for change tend to take a structural approach to improvement. The proposals suggested that CPS agencies may need to define, divide, and channel interventions more precisely into particular philosophical models, rather than leaving intervention decisions to workers. The increasing scrutiny to which agencies are exposed may have generated this new interest in structural solutions. The review also suggests some of the general directions that changes in CPS practice might take in the next few years. These possibilities include offering alternative responses to child maltreatment reports, increasing the involvement of police in child maltreatment cases, and expanding the network of service providers in a coordinated way. However, the literature does not provide a clear or comprehensive picture of how CPS work currently takes place. The national study of CPS systems and reform efforts will address this need. Appended methodological information, lists of additional sources, and 56 references