In the Interest of D.F., Minor Child
T.H., Father-Appellant
Attorney for Appellant Father
Ryan M. Dale
Attorney for Appellee State
Ellen Ramsey-Kacena, Assistant Attorney General
Guardian ad Litem
Roberta Megel
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Pottawattamie County, Scott Strait, District Associate Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Bower, C.J., Schumacher, J., and Potterfield, S.J. Opinion by Potterfield, S.J. (8 pages)
The putative father appeals the termination of his parental rights to D.F., born in 2014. The juvenile court terminated the father’s parental rights pursuant to Iowa Code section 232.116(1)(b) and (e) (2019). Here, the father argues his rights should not be terminated because the Iowa Department of Human Services did not complete the court-ordered paternity testing on the father and termination is not in the child’s best interests. OPINION HOLDS: Termination undersection 232.116(1)(b) does not include a reasonable-efforts requirement, and the record shows the father deserted D.F. Because termination is appropriate under section 232.116(1)(b) and is in D.F.’s best interests, we affirm.
