A.P.
As a practical matter, get some legal advice, you may want to try calling some of the law clincs run by local law schools (students working under supervision of an attorney). Chicago-Kent and DePaul have family law clinics, Loyola might, I would do a little web searching. Also, contact the Chicago Bar Association or some other local bar associations and see if they have a pro bono progam that might help. I know there are consulting attorneys at Daley Center but I can't remember on which floor or when, sorry.
As a personal matter, this has been a problem on the other side for a sibling of mine -- her kids want to be with her, and she says she wants them, but after several weeks or months they are back with a grandparent. I really wish she had gone for an open adoption, so the kids would have a family and she could play mommy when she wanted to visit. Hindsight is everything.