Most States apply risk assessment only after confirming an incident of abuse or neglect. Risk assessment, however, is not an isolated process and assumes different forms depending on the environment in which it is developed. The environment is a dynamic mix of such factors as the precipitating cause for developing risk assesment, goals or purposes of risk assessment, statutory requirement, the prevailing philosophy of child protection service (CPS) practice, educational and skill levels of practitioners, and the role of research and evaluation in informing policy and practice. Some CPS agencies use professional judgment to build consensus risk assessment models, while others employ consultants to develop risk assessment systems using actuarial methods. The most difficult aspect of risk assessment models involves implementing them successfully. Trends that will significantly affect risk assessment the spread of technology in CPS and child welfare practice, interagency collaboration in service delivery, results-based government re-engineering and organizational downsizing, and increased emphasis on client strengths and resources. 2 references