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In the Interest of K.K., Minor Child
G.K., Father-Appellant
Attorney for Appellant Father
Alexander S. Momany
Attorney for Appellee State
Mary A. Triick, Assistant Attorney General
Guardian ad Litem
Julie Gunderson Trachta
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Linn County, Cynthia S. Finley, District Associate Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Bower, C.J., and Badding and Buller, JJ. Opinion by Bower, C.J. (14 pages)
A father appeals the termination of his parental rights to his child, K.K., asserting the juvenile court minimized his efforts toward reunification and erred in concluding termination was in the child’s best interests. He contends the child was removed due to the mother’s behavior—not his, and argues the court should have either returned the child to his care immediately or granted him additional time to achieve reunification. In addition, the father contends his bond with the child should have been recognized as an exception to termination. OPINION HOLDS: We conclude there is clear and convincing evidence the child cannot be returned to the father’s care without risk of adjudicatory harm, termination and adoption are in the child’s best interests, and the father did not meet his burden to establish an exception to termination under Iowa Code section 232.116(3) (2022). We thus affirm.
