Opinion ID: 2232202
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: In re M.M.

Text: In July 1989, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), alleging that the parents of M.M. and her siblings were unfit, petitioned the juvenile court for termination of parental rights. Pursuant to a surrender and consent (see Ill.Rev.Stat. 1989, ch. 37, par. 802-29(1)), executed by the parents, the court terminated parental rights with respect to M.M. and three of her siblings. At a separate hearing on the petition to appoint a guardian with power to consent to adoption, the court found it to be in the best interests of the minor to be adopted by adoptive parents who would be willing to provide contact between the minor and her biological family. Following the hearing, the court entered an order appointing as guardian of the person Gary T. Morgan, DCFS guardianship administrator, with power to consent to adoption, provided that the adoptive parents agree to continue to permit contact by the minor with her biological family. The case was continued for completion of adoption. In October 1989, M.M.'s foster parents petitioned the adoption court to adopt M.M. Although the foster parents had facilitated contact between M.M. and her biological parents and siblings in the past and agreed to continue to do so on an informal basis, they declined agreement to a court order to effect continued contact. The guardian ad litem, on behalf of M.M.'s parents, moved the adoption court to enforce the conditional order of the juvenile court or dismiss the petition to adopt. M.M.'s foster parents filed an affidavit in which they stated their agreement that M.M.'s continued visitation with her biological family would be in the child's best interests and that they would continue to permit such visitation as long as it remained so. However, the foster parents expressed concerns with respect to the validity of an adoption judgment entered pursuant to a guardian's conditional consent, the unavailability of financial resources to pay for legal expenses which might arise in the event of an attack on the validity of the adoption, and disputes concerning the desirability, frequency, place or manner of visits. In April 1990, Morgan moved the juvenile court to modify its order to eliminate the conditional language, arguing, inter alia, that the order was void as in excess of the court's authority. The juvenile court denied the motion, and Morgan appealed the court's denial to the appellate court.