Legal Question in Family Law in Illinois

You have no right to demand custody. The law considers you a stranger in this situation. However DCFS can arrange for a "relative placement" (relative being a family relative) if they find abuse/neglect and an immediate endangerment to the children. So you need to work with DCFS. Now if the situation is more serious and you believe your sister is so unstable as to be disabled, you might be able to attempt to establish guardianship over her and then be able to make decisions about the children -- but that's only her side. As to the father there's INS, but until you have a right to interfere with the children legally, you can not do much as to the father's rights either, especially if he is paying child support and has visitation rights, and even more so if they are married, which you do not say. You will need a lawyer to help with all of this because there are many pieces that will have to fit together. GOOD LUCK.

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