In order to examine the responsiveness of federal policies to the known risk and protective factors for academic and behavior problems at the beginning of school, the Child Mental Health Foundations and Agencies Network commissioned the two papers that make up this publication. One paper reviews the last two decades of relevant scientific literature concerning the risk factors known to affect young children's social-emotional school readiness adversely and the gaps that exist in the research base. The other paper identifies the federal policies and programs that address these risk factors. Taken together, the two papers identify the gaps between what we know regarding risk and protective factors and the programs that are currently implemented to address them. Includes extensive references and data tables. (Author/SG)