Skip to main content
Iowa Judicial Branch
Main Content

Case No. 22-0294

In the Interest of R.S.-W., Minor Child

J.S.-W., Father-Appellant

J.S.-W., Mother-Appellant

Attorney for Appellant Father 

Elizabeth Elsten

Attorney for Appellant Mother

Jennifer Bennett Finn

Attorney for Appellee State

Ellen Ramsey-Kacena, Assistant Attorney General

Guardian ad Litem

Shannon Sandy

Court of Appeals

Court of Appeals Opinion

Opinion Number:
22-0294
Date Published:
Aug 17, 2022
Summary

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Emmet County, Ann M. Gales, District Associate Judge.  AFFIRMED ON BOTH APPEALS.  Considered by Vaitheswaran, P.J., and Tabor, and Badding, JJ.  Opinion by Vaitheswaran, P.J.  (11 pages)

            A mother and father separately appeal the termination of their parental rights to their child, arguing (1) the evidence does not support the grounds for termination, (2) the department of human services failed to make reasonable reunification efforts, (3) termination was not in the child’s best interests, (4) their bond with the child precluded termination, and (5) the district court should have placed the child with “fictive kin.”  The mother also argues (6) DHS “inappropriately delegated its discretion in visitation to the child’s therapist,” and the father argues (7) he should have been afforded six additional months to reunify.  OPINION HOLDS: The district court did not err as it relates to any of these seven arguments and, as such, termination of the parents’ rights to their child is affirmed.

© 2024 Iowa Judicial Branch. All Rights Reserved.