In the Interest of M.R., J.R., and S.R., Minor Children
Z.R., Father-Appellant,
B.T., Mother-Appellant.
Attorney for Appellant Father
Michael H. Johnson
Attorney for Appellant Mother
Tyler J. Alger
Attorney for Appellee State
Tamara Knight, Assistant Attorney General
Guardian ad Litem
Edward James Rosendahl
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Emmet County, Ann M. Gales, Judge. AFFIRMED ON BOTH APPEALS. Considered without oral argument by Greer, P.J., and Schumacher and Ahlers, JJ. Opinion by Ahlers, J. (10 pages)
A mother and father separately appeal the termination of their respective parental rights to their three children. The father claims (1) the State failed to establish a statutory ground for termination, in part because the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services did not make reasonable efforts toward reunification, (2) his bonds with the children should have precluded termination, and (3) the juvenile court should have given him additional time to work toward reunification. The mother only challenges whether termination is in the children’s best interests. OPINION HOLDS: The State established a statutory ground for termination, and the father waived his reasonable-efforts challenge. The father’s bonds with the children are not of such magnitude to warrant application of a permissive exception to forgo termination, and we do not grant him any additional time to work toward reunification. Termination of the mother’s parental rights is in the children’s best interests.
