In re R.C.

── In re R.C. ── Court: Appellate Court of Illinois Date: April 24, 2026 Category: General NOTICE 2026 IL App (4th) 251378-U FILED This Order was filed under April 24, 2026 Supreme Court Rule 23 and is Carla Bender not precedent except in the NO. 4-25-1378 4th District Appellate limited circumstances allowed under Rule 23(e)(1). Court, IL IN THE APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS FOURTH DISTRICT In re R.C., a Minor ) Appeal from the ) Circuit Court of (The People of the State of Illinois, ) Macoupin County Petitioner-Appellee, ) No. 22JA18 v. ) Jorda C., ) Honorable Respondent-Appellant). ) Joshua Aaron Meyer, ) Judge Presiding. JUSTICE HARRIS delivered the judgment of the court. Presiding Justice Steigmann and Justice Grischow concurred in the judgment. ORDER ¶1 Held: The appellate court affirmed, holding (1) the appellate court lacked jurisdiction to consider challenges to the adjudicatory and dispositional orders, (2) respondent failed to show that the trial court’s alleged failure to give her certain admonishments required vacating the court’s order terminating her parental rights, and (3) the court’s finding that respondent was unfit was not against the manifest weight of the evidence. ¶2 Respondent, Jorda C., appeals the trial court’s order terminating her parental rights to her daughter, R.C. (born in 2019). Respondent argues that the court erred by (1) “granting the State’s Motion for Default Adjudication based upon an unverified Petition for Adjudication of Wardship,” (2) denying respondent’s motion to vacate the adjudication, (3) failing to provide respondent with admonishments following the adjudicatory and dispositional hearings that she must cooperate with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the terms of the service plan and correct the conditions that required the minor to be in care or risk the termination of her parental rights, and (4) finding respondent was unfit. We affirm. ¶3 I. BACKGROUND ¶4 On May 26, 2022, the State filed a petition for adjudication of wardship concerning R.C. The petition alleged that R.C. was neglected pursuant to section 2-3(1)(b) of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 (Juvenile Court Act) (705 ILCS 405/2-3(1)(b) (West 2022)) in that respondent’s drug use rendered the home an unsafe environment. That same day, the trial court entered an order granting temporary custody of R.C. to DCFS. ¶5 On November 21, 2022, the trial court entered an order of adjudication finding that R.C. was neglected in that she was in an environment injurious to her welfare. No transcript of the adjudicatory hearing appears in the record. ¶6 On January 11, 2023, respondent filed a motion to vacate the adjudicatory order. The motion stated that, unbeknownst to respondent’s counsel, respondent was incarcerated at the time of the adjudicatory hearing and had been told the wrong date for the hearing by her caseworker. A docket entry indicates that this motion was denied on January 17, 2023, and respondent failed to appear at the h