Probes sent to the far reaches of the solar system have tought us how different worlds are from each other. Worlds around other stars have been guessed and hinted.
But it looks like what the public was looking for (also inspired by SF), was a place like our own, an Earth twin...but that wasn't possible.
Scientists are still searching for things like what we have on Earth...
It might not be intelligent, it might not be alive, it might not be liquid water, it might not be current but very ancient...But it somehow must be familiar.
We failed to instead, sell differences and variety to the public.

As for a better future for our children than our present life, well that is what a large part of the world is experiencing today, but it's not our side of the planet, it's elsewhere.