In what Illinois lawmakers think is a first, a Chicago woman has adopted her own children under an Illinois law passed in 2009. The law, passed in 2009, gives biological parents who've lost custody of their children the ability to rehabilitate themselves and adopt their children if the adoptive parent is a blood relative and passes away.
The law's inspiration, Yolanda Miller, 49, adopted four of her 11 biological children, who range in age from their late teens to mid-20s. Ten of her children were born while she was addicted to crack cocaine, and her mother adopted them at birth. In 1997, kicked the addiction. She and her family, to whom Miller lived next door, moved to a different neighborhood, and Miller took on an active parenting role. In 2005, Miller's mother died. Miller had her children move in with her, but since she wasn't their legal guardian, she "knew anybody at any time could take them away from me."
Linda Coon, Miller's lawyer and the chairwoman for the Chicago Bar Association's legislative subcommittee for adoption law said regaining custody meant one judge would have to override the previous decisions to take it away. Miller officially adopted her two eldest daughters, 24-year-old twins, and the two who are still minors.
An adoption lawyer at the Mecklenburg County Law Offices of David P. Sheehan can assist you to finalize the adoption of your grandchild, step-child, or any other child you're seeking to adopt. Contact an attorney today at (704) 332-5858.
