Illinois Children’s Adversity Index
Clients: Illinois State Board of Education
Partners: Protiviti
Challenge: Following the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) Whole Child Task Force in early 2022, the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation requiring the creation of “a community or district-level Children’s Adversity Index to measure community childhood trauma exposure across the population of children 3 through 18 years of age” by May 31, 2025. Building the Index requires significant expertise and resources, including facilitating collaboration with many stakeholders to design, prototype, and socialize the Index, as well as developing an effective implementation plan. ISBE sought Civic Consulting Alliance’s project administration support for the development of the Children's Adversity Index, recognizing our experience in facilitating education policy implementation and track record of supporting State agencies.
Action: Civic Consulting Alliance is supporting ISBE and Chapin Hall’s design and implementation of the Index. We are supporting ISBE and Chapin Hall in engaging a diverse group of stakeholders from across Illinois, including leadership from other State agencies and subject matter experts in youth mental health and trauma to provide significant input into the Index composition. Our team will also help ISBE to establish the necessary governance and operational procedures to ensure its successful implementation. To maintain project momentum, we are implementing robust project management practices, including regular communication and stakeholder engagement.
Result: The Illinois Children’s Adversity Index will be a crucial tool for understanding and addressing the challenges faced by children across the state. By quantifying the impact of adverse experiences, the Index will provide invaluable data to inform targeted interventions and resource allocation to improve the lives of young people in Illinois. This groundbreaking initiative, particularly in conjunction with other ongoing statewide initiatives, also continues to raise Illinois’ profile as a national leader in youth mental health.
