Child development laboratory schools are found on college and university campuses throughout the U.S. Over the last century, they have acquired a long, rich history. Originally seen as settings for the new field of child study in the early 1900s, their functions have evolved over time. These programs often play a central role in supporting teaching, research, and outreach/engagement activities in the fields of child development and early childhood education. Yet, many have had to fight for their existence when economic times have gotten difficult. Many long-running programs have had to close. This book provides a unique perspective on the purpose and function of child development laboratory schools and the potential of large-scale research to examine important world problems. The individual stories presented are real stories that offer reasonable solutions and ideas for maximizing the value of these venerable institutions. Most importantly, the authors demonstrate how child development laboratory schools can address the criticisms often lodged regarding their lack of relevancy and focus on real-life problems and solutions. The range of perspectives includes university faculty trying to maximize research that is applied in nature as well as redefining what and where a laboratory is, both in the university and in the community. The message is clear that child development laboratory schools are alive and well, and continuing to evolve. Contents include: (1) An Introduction to the Future of Child Development Laboratory Settings--a Consortium for Applied Developmental Science (Nancy E. Barbour and Brent A. McBride); (2) Data and Infrastructure Supports: A Critical Component for the Creation of a Lab School Consortium (Brent A. McBride); (3) Expanding Research from Collaborative Self-Study to an Applied Developmental Science Model (Martha Lash and Monica Miller Marsh); (4) Researcher-Teacher Collaboration in Applied Research in a University Laboratory School (Elizabeth Schlesinger-Devlin, James Elicker, and Treshawn Anderson); (5) Building and Sustaining Community-Based Partnerships (Andrew J. Stremmel, Jennifer Kampmann, and Jill Thorngren); (6) Making the Shift to Child Development Laboratory Site: A Case Example (Nancy E. Barbour, Reece Wilson, and Jennifer Ryan Newton); (7) Educare as a Model of Multisite, Collaborative, Policy-Relevant Research (Diane M. Horm); and (8) A View from Higher Education Administration: What Do Child Development Laboratory Settings Need to Do to Survive? (Marjorie Kostelnik).