Child Protection Division

Circuit Court of Cook County
Information about court organization, court locations, judge information, court holidays and the trial process can be found at the Circuit Court website.

Descriptive Guide
Descriptive Guide

Glossary of Legal Terms

Illinois Code of Civil Procedure
CIVIL PROCEDURE (735 ILCS 5/) Code of Civil Procedure.

Illinois Supreme Court Rules
Illinois Supreme Court's list of Illinois Supreme Court Rules

Municipality Fees (705 ILCS 105/27.1b)

Adjudication Hearing

The adjudication hearing is a trial at which the court determines whether allegations of abuse or neglect concerning a child are sustained by the evidence presented, and if so, whether those allegations are legally sufficient to support state intervention on behalf of the child. If the petition seeking court intervention on behalf of the child is sustained, the court may proceed to the disposition stage of the case.

Disposition Hearing

The disposition hearing allows the court to determine, after a finding that the child has been abused and/or neglected, whether it would be in the best interests of the child that the child be made a ward of the court. At the hearing, the court determines who shall have custody and control of the child, and whether out-of-home temporary placement should continue, based upon, in part, the child care agency's plan to protect the child from further harm.

Permanency Hearings

Permanency hearings allow the court to determine the permanent placement of a child. The court decides whether a child should be permanently returned home, or whether efforts to return the child home should cease. When a family has made substantial progress for the child to be returned home prior to the permanency planning hearing, the court may authorize the return home of the child within a short time after the hearing. When the decision at the permanency planning hearing is not to send the child home, the court may consider adoption before accepting a lower priority option of placement such as extended foster care or long-term custody. 

Status Hearings

Status hearings take place after the disposition hearing and allow the court to review the progress made by the parties since the conclusion of the disposition hearing. The purpose of the hearing is to make sure that the case progresses and the child spends as short a time as possible in temporary placement.

Temporary Custody Hearing

The temporary custody hearing (TC) is a preliminary protective hearing to determine if a minor(s) should be immediately removed from the custody of the accused parent(s) or caretaker(s) and placed under the temporary and protective care of the State of Illinois based on evidence presented which indicates that the child has been unlawfully harmed or will be unlawfully harmed.

Termination of Parental Rights Hearings

The termination of parental rights hearings allows the court to determine whether the custodial and all other legal rights of a parent(s) to his or her child should be severed based upon evidence clearly showing that the parent is unable or unwilling to provide for the safe care of the child.

Q: Where is the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Child Support Division located?
A: Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Child Protection Division
Cook County Juvenile Center
1100 South Hamilton Avenue Room 13
Chicago, IL 60612

Q: What are the hours of operation of the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Child Protection Division?
A: The hours of operation for the Child Protection Division are 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Q: What types of cases are heard in the Child Protection Division?
A: Cases heard in the Child Protection Division involve:
Child Abuse; Child Neglect; Child Dependency; Private Guardianship; and Termination of Parental Rights.

*Please note, Child Support cases are NOT heard in the Child Protection Division. For information regarding Child Support matters, please call the Child Support Division of the Clerk of the Circuit Court at (312)345-4188.

Q: What are the responsiblities of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County?
A: The Clerk of the Circuit Court is, by law, the official keeper of records for all judicial matters brought into the Circuit Court of Cook County. Pursuant to the Clerk's capacity as the keeper of the records, the Clerk cannot provide legal advice.

Q: Where can an Order of Protection be obtained?
A: The Illinois Domestic Violence Act (IDVA) recognizes domestic violence as a serious crime. It creates a legal remedy for domestic violence victims called an ORDER OF PROTECTION, and requires that law enforcement officers provide specific types of assistance to victims. An Order of Protection is a written order signed by a judge, which requires an abuser to stop further abuse and/or prevent the abuser from entering the shared home for a period of time. Requests for Orders of Protection, in which there have been criminal charges filed or criminal acts reported to the Chicago Police Department, can be processed at the Centralized Domestic Violence Court, 555 West Harrison Street, Chicago, IL.

View All Child Protection Division Frequently Asked Questions