In the Interest of E.H. and G.F., Minor Children
S.J., Mother-Appellant
Attorney for Appellant Mother
Lynnette M. Lindgren
Attorney for Appellee State
Kathryn K. Lang, Assistant Attorney General
Guardian ad Litem
Patrick Joseph Mahaffey
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Mahaska County, Rose Anne Mefford, District Associate Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Vaitheswaran, P.J., and Greer and Schumacher, JJ. Opinion by Vaitheswaran, P.J. (5 pages)
A mother appeals the termination of her parental rights to two children, contending (1) the State failed to prove the children “could not be returned to [her] custody at the time of the termination hearing”; (2) the department of health and human services failed to make “reasonable efforts to reunify [her] with her child[ren]”; and (3) termination was not in the children’s best interests “due to the closeness of the parent-child relationship” and because a guardianship “would allow the child[ren] to be placed in a safe and stable environment while also preserving the child[ren]’s close bond with [her].” OPINION HOLDS: We affirm the district court’s decision to terminate the mother’s parental rights to the two children.
