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In the Interest of A.K. and A.K., Minor Children
W.K., Father-Appellant
Attorney for Appellant Father
Mark D. Reed
Attorney for Appellee State
Meredith L. Lamberti, Assistant Attorney General
Guardian ad Litem
Will E. Sales III
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, Kimberly Ayotte, District Associate Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Vaitheswaran, P.J., and Tabor and Schumacher, JJ. Opinion by Tabor, J. (8 pages)
A father appeals the juvenile court order terminating his parental rights to two children. He argues the State failed to offer clear and convincing evidence to establish a statutory ground for termination. He also argues termination is not in the children’s best interests. OPINION HOLDS: Because the father showed little to no progress in addressing his severe mental-health and substance-abuse issues, we find clear and convincing that the children could not be safely returned to his care. We also conclude termination is in the children’s best interests because the father remained unemployed and had unstable housing at the time of the termination hearing. We affirm.