This report surveys writings by National Institute of Mental Health grant recipients who have investigated this first five years of life. The authors attempted to identify and correlate ideas, themes, perspectives and issues which can be useful in the formulation and evaluation of social policies related to infant and child development. Major themes include: (1) the child lives and grows through action which is double directed to himself and others, is binding to people and things, is playful and pleasurable, is environmentally stimulated, and is increasingly complex and creative; (2) the child is simultaneously autonomous and socially related. Subthemes under this latter include: (1) language and cognitive development; (2) the developmental stages for autonomy and social attachments; (3) the role of imitation; and (4) the attachments and separations of childhood. The concluding section reports on programs of action directed toward new ways of dealing with infants and young children. (TL)