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:
Date Published:
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.
