By BJ Lutz and Charlie Wojciechowski
NBC Chicago

A mother who had nine of her children taken away from her years ago has adopted four of them back and is on the path to getting custody of the five others. Yolanda Miller is the first Illinois parent to take advantage of a 2009 law which restores parental rights after they’ve been revoked by the state.

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The Department of Children and Family Services removed 10 of Miller’s 11 children from her care more than 14 years ago because of her addiction to crack cocaine, placing them for adoption with relatives.

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After overcoming her drug addiction, Miller sought to legally reclaim her children, but Illinois law lacked a process for her to reunite the family. The law, PA 96-601, fills that gap.

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