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In the Interest of A.G., Minor Child
C.J., Mother-Appellant
T.G., Father-Appellant
Attorney for Appellant Mother
Agnes G. Warutere
Attorney for Appellant Father
Audra F. Saunders
Attorney for Appellee State
Ellen Ramsey-Kacena, Assistant Attorney General
Guardian ad Litem
Shannon M. Leighty
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Story County, Stephen A. Owen, District Associate Judge. AFFIRMED ON BOTH APPEALS AND REMANDED WITH DIRECTIONS. Considered by Doyle, P.J., Schumacher, J., and Carr, S.J. Opinion by Carr, S.J. (9 pages)
A mother and a father separately appeal the termination of their parental rights. OPINION HOLDS: The child’s best interests are served by terminating the father’s parental rights, and there is no evidence that terminating the mother’s and the father’s parental rights would be detrimental to the child. But the DHS was required to exercise due diligence to notify the child’s relatives of the transfer of the child’s custody, and nothing in the record indicates it did so. We affirm the termination of both the mother’s and the father’s parental rights but remand to provide the child’s relatives with notice of the termination and their rights and options regarding the child’s placement.