Researchers and practitioners both have important roles to play in the study and understanding of early childhood development. However, the cultures of the different professional fields can lead to a gap in what we know and what we do to promote healthy child development. The evidence-based practice movement in the early childhood field provides an opportunity to bridge that gap by creating strong partnerships between researchers and practitioners that value the unique contributions of each. The authors describe these contributions to stimulate dialogue between researchers and practitioners about how to collaborate effectively and offer the best chance for truly effective services for young children and their families.