For Immediate Release
July 14, 2025
New Children's Adversity Index Measures Exposure to Childhood Trauma in Communities Across Illinois
Groundbreaking index marks a pivotal step in identifying and addressing systemic challenges impacting communities statewide
SPRINGFIELD — The Pritzker administration today unveiled the Children's Adversity Index, a new tool designed to measure community childhood trauma exposure for children ages 3 through 18 in communities across Illinois.
The Children's Adversity Index was developed by Chapin Hall and the Illinois State Board of Education in collaboration with eight state agencies and leading experts. It builds on the administration’s commitment to creating equitable, inclusive, and supportive environments for every child. This groundbreaking Index, which originated from the 2022 Whole Child Task Force Report, became a legislative mandate in 2023. It marks a pivotal step in identifying and addressing systemic challenges impacting communities statewide.
“The Children’s Adversity Index provides an opportunity for us, as a state, to come together and address the interconnected, systemic challenges facing Illinois children and families – from food insecurity, to lack of access to safe and affordable housing, to over-imprisonment,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “The concept of the ‘whole child’ means recognizing the need for partnerships and inter-agency action to address inequities beyond the school walls. The ‘whole child’ approach begins with a data- and research-driven understanding of community-level adversity. The Children's Adversity Index empowers us to better understand the challenges communities face and to take meaningful action to most effectively allocate resources and programming to uplift children and families across Illinois.”
“The Children’s Adversity Index shines a light on the contextual factors that are essential to understanding barriers and opportunities in the communities that surround our schools,” said Dr. Dana Weiner, Chief Officer for Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation. “The collaborative process for developing the Index with state and local partners alongside experts in child development and trauma provides a model approach for pursuing rigorous, data-informed systems change."
"The Children's Adversity Index represents exactly the kind of comprehensive, data-driven approach we need to tackle the complex challenges facing Illinois families. By mapping adversity across our communities and identifying where resources are most needed, we're moving beyond treating symptoms to addressing root causes,” said Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood). “This tool will be invaluable as we work to ensure every child in Illinois has the support they need to thrive, regardless of their ZIP code. I'm proud of our leadership in taking this whole-child approach to change.”
A Collaborative, Data-Driven Approach
The Children's Adversity Index is the result of a multi-agency effort led by ISBE to analyze statewide data related to childhood trauma exposure. The Index was developed by Chapin Hall, an organization renowned for its expertise in research and policy, with project management support from Civic Consulting Alliance.
The index was created in partnership with the Illinois Departments of Children and Family Services, Human Services, Juvenile Justice, Public Health, Early Childhood, Healthcare and Family Services, Innovation and Technology, and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. It provides a comprehensive, data-driven perspective on adverse community conditions affecting Illinois youth.
The index is guided by the Pair of ACEs framework, which underscores the relationship between adverse community conditions and childhood trauma. It is used to evaluate communitywide data to analyze adverse incidents and environmental conditions that contribute to trauma exposure. The index organizes findings into three key domains:
Community Risk Trajectories – Understanding risk factors that set communities on adverse paths.
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Death Rate among Under 20 Years Old
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Juvenile Delinquency Rate
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Rate of Overdose Deaths
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Rate of Child Abuse and Neglect Investigations
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Rate of Uninsured Under 19 Years Old
Community Unmet Needs - Identifying where services and resources are most needed.
Barriers to Economic Progress – Highlighting economic challenges that hinder community well-being.
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Housing Burden (percentage of households with housing costs at least 30% of income)
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Percentage with Less Than High School Education (age 25 or older)
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Percentage of Total Population without Health Insurance
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Median Household Income
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Unemployment Rate (between 20 and 64)
The index enables state policymakers to compare the trauma exposure levels of each Illinois community to others and to the state average to inform state action to address childhood trauma. Interactive maps illustrate the distribution of adversity across Illinois. A statewide map displays each community’s overall exposure level, while separate maps for each domain provide a more detailed view of community-specific trauma exposure. Users can select individual communities to view their profiles and compare their adversity exposure levels with other communities and the state average.
The index is calculated using the geographic boundaries of school districts, as required by state statute. Those boundaries and the associated data represent community residents; the data does not reflect student enrollment in a specific district.
Driving Solutions for Illinois Communities
The Children's Adversity Index is designed to catalyze change. Illinois policymakers, service providers, and state- and regional-level leaders across sectors can use this data to take meaningful action to expand and tailor services to meet community-specific needs and ensure financial resources, including public and private grant dollars, and programming are prioritized for communities facing the highest levels of trauma exposure.
Governor JB Pritzker’s administration has prioritized expanding access to services for children and families across Illinois. The index, developed in connection with recent initiatives such as REACH, the Illinois Healing-Centered Task Force, and Pathways to Success, builds on the state’s ongoing efforts to create a trauma-informed approach to community support.
With the launch of the Children's Adversity Index, Illinois is taking another step forward in ensuring that every child grows up in a supportive, resilient community. This initiative represents the state’s continued commitment to healing, equity, and opportunity for all.
Access the live index, related data, and further information at www.isbe.net/adversityindex.
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For more information:
Lindsay Record
Phone: 217-685-3585
Email: press@isbe.net
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