Parents involved in juvenile court hearings may hear certain legal terms that they do not understand. It is their right to ask what these terms mean and to have the judge or an attorney explain them.

Some of the words parents may hear include the following:

• Abused minor – A child who has been hurt, or is at risk of being hurt physically by someone responsible for caring for him or her
• Adjudicatory hearing – A trial to find out if the child is abused or neglected
• Appeal – Asking a higher court to review the case
• Court appointed special advocate (CASA) – A trained volunteer sometimes appointed by the judge to look out for the child’s best interests
• Court family conference – a discussion involving all the attorneys in the case, the caseworker, parents, usually the judge and other relevant people, about plans for the future of the case. This conference takes place after the shelter care or temporary custody hearing, but before the adjudicatory hearing
• Dependent minor – A child who does not have parents or guardians, whose parents or guardians cannot provide the necessary care for the child, or whose parents have given up their rights to the child
• Disposition – The decision made by the judge about what is in a child’s best interests. This includes where a child should live and what type of help a parent and child should receive
• Dispositional hearing – A hearing at which the judge decides what is to be done if a child is determined to be the victim of abuse or neglect
• Finding – The decision made by the judge.
• Guardian ad litem (GAL) – An adult, usually an attorney, who is appointed to look after a child’s best interests at a court hearing
• Neglected minor – A child who has been hurt, or is at risk of being hurt, because the person responsible for him or her does not provide the necessary care for the child
• Order of Protection – An order of the court requiring certain rules be observed by the parent or others involved in the hearing for a specified period of time
• Permanency goal – a goal set by the judge concerning plans for where the child should live
• Permanency hearing – A hearing at which the judge or a hearing officer decides the permanency goal for the child and whether the parent and child are receiving the correct services
• Petition – The legal document that gives the reason why the child and family are in court
• Public defender – A lawyer who works for the county and represents parents who are not able to pay
• Shelter care/temporary custody – Placement in a home, such as a foster home, a group home or another child care facility
• State’s attorney – The lawyer who presents the case for the people of the state of Illinois. This person may be called the prosecutor.
• Termination of Parental Rights hearing – A hearing at which a judge decides if a parent is unfit and whether a parent’s rights to a child should be terminated and the child placed for adoption
• Ward of the court – A child who is under the control of Juvenile Court.

Note: This information was prepared as a public service by the Illinois State Bar Association and is a joint project with the Illinois Press Association. Its purpose is to inform citizens of their legal rights and obligations.