It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. Children differ from one another in ways that can affect the course of development. Some are more talented musically and others athletically. Some have developmental difficulties; some have easier temperaments than others. How do we create environments that support the healthy development of each and every child—regardless of personality, abilities, gender, race, ethnicity, social class, family structure? The course considers how children’s development is influenced by their own characteristics, families, communities, and societies and asks students to think like a policy maker. We analyze the immediate and enduring biological and behavioral impact of risk factors, their interaction, and child and contextual factors that modify their effects. Our goal is to bridge the areas traditionally covered by developmental and abnormal psychology and public health with an emphasis on considering the public policy implications of risk in children’s lives from a human rights and social justice perspective.