A Better Chicago released its second annual State of Our Youth report on Mar. 31, examining the challenges and barriers facing young people in the city and offering recommendations for how to respond. The report draws from youth surveys and focus groups conducted in Summer 2025, as well as publicly available data, to assess how Chicago’s youth are faring across key stages of development.
The findings highlight both resilience among young people and ongoing obstacles. According to the report, 95 percent of Chicago youth say they feel optimistic about their futures. However, it also shows that longstanding inequities and under-resourced systems—compounded by the pandemic and ongoing social, economic, and political pressures—continue to shape their lives unevenly.
One urgent insight is the continued impact of chronic absenteeism: more than 40 percent of Chicago Public Schools students missed over ten percent of the school year in 2025. The report links absenteeism with broader social factors such as poverty, community safety, mental health challenges, academic progress issues, access to programs outside school hours, high school graduation rates, and college enrollment.
“When students miss school, they don’t just miss out on learning but also access to mental health supports, extracurricular opportunities, and the chance to build relationships with trusted adults and peers that help keep them connected and on-track,” said Beth Swanson, CEO at A Better Chicago. “Staying engaged in and connected at school remains one of the strongest predictors of long-term success and a pathway to a family-sustaining wage. Parents and community members…can help create a system of support that enables students to be present in school.”
Other findings show that anxiety or depression are leading reasons for missing school; nearly one in four youths under age eighteen live in poverty; twenty-three percent witness violence weekly; ninety-five percent believe mental health is a serious issue; participation in out-of-school programs increases optimism about future prospects.
“The challenges facing our youth are significant but they are not insurmountable,” said Janice Jackson from A Better Chicago’s Board of Directors. “Chicago’s young people are ambitious…and clear about what they need: safe spaces, trusted adults…strong schools…real pathways to opportunity.” The organization recommends strengthening early warning systems for absenteeism risk identification; expanding access to mental health services at schools; increasing mentorship opportunities; investing in safe community spaces; supporting high-quality out-of-school programs.
Steve Beard—Chairman at A Better Chicago—said: “Chicago is a city of extraordinary promise…Yet opportunity remains out of reach for far too many youth.” He explained this is why A Better Chicago invests in partnerships aimed at expanding opportunity through connection with schools.
To advance these goals further,A Better Chicago has launched Every Day Counts—a new initiative committing $10 million over five years toward improving student attendance via community-led solutions developed alongside educators.The first round grant awards will be announced this June.
