YOS believes all youth are capable of excellence. We are committed to providing the community-based support they need to meet challenges head-on, discover their strengths, and make healthy choices.
Youth Outreach Services (YOS) is dedicated to caring for youth in and around Chicago, inspiring positive development in their lives, families, and communities. Founded in 1959, YOS serves over 2,000 youth and their families each year through a wide variety of prevention, counseling, juvenile justice, and child welfare services.
YOS is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping at-risk youth in the Chicago area to achieve their full potential. For more than 65 years, we have been committed to providing support and care for teenagers who are facing challenges at home, in school, and in their community.
Youth Outreach Services believes in the potential of all youth to live healthy, productive lives.
Creating opportunities to help youth grow
YOS is an organization that offers essential services to youth from underprivileged and underserved communities in Chicago. Many of our youth face severe difficulties that run deep. Our aim is to inspire positive development so that our clients and their families can confidently overcome challenges with ongoing support that empowers them to thrive for a lifetime.
YOS responds to the needs of young people wherever they may be, whether within school programs, clients’ residences, or our own offices. We offer comprehensive services from our four areas, depending on each client’s specific needs: Prevention, Counseling, Juvenile Justice, and Child Welfare.
In the Chicagoland area, there is a great need for services to help young people overcome challenges and navigate difficult situations. YOS provides resources for over 3,000 clients and their families each year.
- Mental Health – In a survey of Chicago-area youth, 32% reported feeling sad or hopeless, while 15% contemplated suicide.
- Substance Abuse – Each $1 invested in treatment equals $4 to $7 in crime and criminal justice cost savings.
- Violence – 50% of victims of homicide in Chicago are between the ages of 10 and 25.
- Family Conflict – Struggles at home are the leading causes of homelessness, juvenile delinquency, and poor academics.
- Juvenile Justice – Although children of color in Illinois, ages 10 to 17, are only 16% of the overall age group, they represent:
- 34% arrested
- 38% adjudicated
- 68% in residential placement
- Homelessness – 15,000+ youth without parents/guardians in Chicago who are homeless annually.