In re S.A.

── In re S.A. ── Court: Appellate Court of Illinois Date: May 26, 2026 Category: General NOTICE 2026 IL App (4th) 260158-U This Order was filed under FILED Supreme Court Rule 23 and is NOS. 4-26-0158, 26-0159 cons. May 26, 2026 not precedent except in the Carla Bender limited circumstances allowed IN THE APPELLATE COURT 4th District Appellate under Rule 23(e)(1). Court, IL OF ILLINOIS FOURTH DISTRICT In re S.A. and K.F., Minors ) Appeal from the ) Circuit Court of (The People of the State of Illinois, ) Fulton County Petitioner-Appellee, ) Nos. 23JA13 v. ) 23JA17 Nicole A., ) Respondent-Appellant). ) Honorable ) Curtis S. Lane, ) Judge Presiding. JUSTICE ZENOFF delivered the judgment of the court. Presiding Justice Steigmann and Justice Doherty concurred in the judgment. ORDER ¶1 Held: The appellate court granted appointed counsel’s motion to withdraw and affirmed the orders terminating respondent’s parental rights where there was no nonfrivolous basis to challenge the judgments. ¶2 Respondent, Nicole A., appeals orders terminating her parental rights to her children, S.A. (born in 2017) and K.F. (born in 2023). Respondent’s appointed counsel has moved to withdraw pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), upon concluding that there is no nonfrivolous issue to raise on respondent’s behalf. See In re S.M., 314 Ill. App. 3d 682, 685-86 (2000) (explaining the procedure to move to withdraw pursuant to Anders in a case involving termination of parental rights). Respondent did not file a response to this motion, and the time to do so has passed. For the following reasons, we grant counsel’s motion and affirm the judgments in these consolidated appeals. ¶3 I. BACKGROUND ¶4 In May 2023, the State filed a three-count neglect petition with respect to S.A., alleging that her environment was injurious to her welfare 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)). Specifically, count I alleged that respondent’s substance abuse issues had not been adequately addressed and negatively impacted her ability to care for S.A. Count II alleged that S.A.’s putative father, Levi F., failed to maintain a reasonable degree of care or concern. Count III alleged that respondent and her paramour (Cory F.) engaged in domestic violence in S.A.’s presence. ¶5 Shortly after the State filed the petition in S.A.’s case, respondent gave birth to K.F., whose father is Cory F. In July 2023, the State filed a three-count neglect petition with respect to K.F. that was similar to the one in S.A.’s case. ¶6 In October 2023, respondent admitted to the allegations regarding her substance abuse, and the trial court adjudicated both S.A. and K.F. neglected on count I of the petitions. In December 2023, the court entered dispositional orders making the children wards of the court and placing guardianship and custody with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Among the services the court ordered respondent to complete were a substance abuse assessment, any recom