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Case No. 20-1442

In the Interest of A.G., Minor Child

C.J., Mother-Appellant

T.G., Father-Appellant

Attorney for Appellant Mother

Agnes G. Warutere

Attorney for Appellant Father

Audra F. Saunders

Attorney for Appellee State

Ellen Ramsey-Kacena, Assistant Attorney General

Guardian ad Litem

Shannon M. Leighty

Court of Appeals

Court of Appeals Opinion

Opinion Number:
20-1442
Date Published:
Jun 16, 2021
Summary

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Story County, Stephen A. Owen, District Associate Judge.  AFFIRMED ON BOTH APPEALS AND REMANDED WITH DIRECTIONS.  Considered by Doyle, P.J., Schumacher, J., and Carr, S.J.  Opinion by Carr, S.J.  (9 pages)

            A mother and a father separately appeal the termination of their parental rights.  OPINION HOLDS: The child’s best interests are served by terminating the father’s parental rights, and there is no evidence that terminating the mother’s and the father’s parental rights would be detrimental to the child.  But the DHS was required to exercise due diligence to notify the child’s relatives of the transfer of the child’s custody, and nothing in the record indicates it did so.  We affirm the termination of both the mother’s and the father’s parental rights but remand to provide the child’s relatives with notice of the termination and their rights and options regarding the child’s placement.

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