In the Interest of S.Y., T.Y., A.Y., T.L., and A.L., Minor Children
H.G., Mother-Appellant
Attorney for Appellant Mother
Bridget L. Goldbeck
Attorney for Appellee State
Tamara Knight, Assistant Attorney General
Guardian ad Litem
Marybeth Fleming
Attorney for Minor Child A.L.
Patricia Reisen-Ottavi
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Dubuque County, Thomas J. Straka, Associate Juvenile Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Schumacher, P.J., Buller, J., and Blane, S.J. Opinion by Blane, S.J. (5 pages)
A mother appeals the termination of her parental rights to five children, arguing she should have more time to work toward reunification and it was not in the children’s best interests to terminate her rights. OPINION HOLDS: The mother has unresolved substance-abuse, mental-health, and domestic violence issues going back to when the state first became involved with the family in 2014. We see no reason to believe the issues will be resolved in six months, so an extension is unwarranted and is not in the children’s best interests. And because of those unresolved issues, the best interests of the children require termination of the mother’s parental rights and permanent placement of the children in homes that can meet their needs. We affirm.
