In the Interest of J.S., P.S., and S.S., Minor Children
T.K., Mother-Appellant
M.S., Father-Appellant
Attorney for Appellant Mother
Molly Vakulskas
Attorney for Appellant Father
Tisha M. Halverson
Attorney for Appellee State
Mary A. Triick, Assistant Attorney General
Guardian ad Litem
Lesley Rynell
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Cherokee County, Andrew J. Smith, District Associate Judge. AFFIRMED ON BOTH APPEALS. Considered by Ahlers, P.J., Badding, J., and Potterfield, S.J. Opinion by Potterfield, S.J. (22 pages)
The mother and father separately appeal the termination of their parental rights to P.S. (born in 2014), J.S. (born in 2020), and S.S. (born in in 2022). Both parents argue the juvenile court should have granted their motions to bifurcate the permanency and termination hearing as it relates to S.S. Additionally, they both challenge the statutory grounds for termination, whether the loss of their rights is in the children’s best interests, and if the strength of the parent-child bond precludes termination. The father also claims the juvenile court lacked temporary emergency jurisdiction to enter the initial removal order for S.S., the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services failed to meet its reasonable-efforts mandate, and he should have been given additional time to work toward reunification with the children. OPINION HOLDS: We affirm the termination of the mother’s and the father’s parental rights to all three children.
