This book contains 13 papers resulting from roundtable discussions at the 1993 Society for Research in Child Development Meeting. The overall intent of the papers is to plan the course for child health care, public policy, and developmental research into the next century. The book is divided into three parts, each covering one topic. Research issues discussed include: (1) the effects of poverty on children; (2) research on African American infants; (3) Hispanic children and their families; (4) literacy and poverty; and (5) socioeconomic status and alcoholism. Health issues discussed include: (1) reducing infant mortality and improving health outcomes for children born in poverty; (2) preventive health and developmental care for at-risk youth; (3) the relationships between risk and protective factors, developmental outcomes, and the home environment; and (4) environmental risks and child mental health. Policy issues discussed include: (1) setting research priorities for poverty children; (2) meeting the support needs of parents; (3) policies for children as a social obligation; and (4) models for integrating research, policy, and programs. All but two of the papers contain references. (JW)