Court Opinion

ID: 9819347
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 06:23:17.720499+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:09:55.101642
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE COOK, specially concurring: I concur in the decision to affirm. I disagree with the majority’s assertion that the nine-month limitation in section 1(D)(m) of the Adoption Act applies to a parent’s failure to make reasonable progress but not to a parent’s failure to make reasonable efforts. Under the majority’s analysis, no time limitation applies to reasonable efforts. On the one hand, the State might argue that failure to make reasonable efforts for one day constituted unfitness. On the other hand, a respondent could argue that he or she should be given additional time even though a failure to make reasonable efforts had continued for several years. I do not believe the legislature intended to leave this question up in the air. The last antecedent rule should not be mechanically applied. See People v. Bartlett, 294 Ill. App. 3d 435, 440, 690 N.E.2d 154,157 (1998). Other sections of the statute make it clear that the nine-month provision applies both to failure to make reasonable progress and failure to make reasonable efforts. See 705 ILCS 405/2—28(2)(B—1) (West 1998) (as amended by Pub. Act 90—608, § 30,. eff. June 30, 1998 (1998 Ill. Legis. Serv. 1575, 1613)) (when court finds parent has not made reasonable efforts or reasonable progress court shall set a status hearing not earlier than nine months).