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In the Interest of F.F., Minor Child
H.M., Mother-Appellant
Attorney for Appellant Mother
Nancy L. Pietz
Attorney for Appellee State
Lisa Jeanes, Assistant Attorney General
Guardian ad Litem
Yvonne Naanep
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Warren County, Brendan E. Greiner, District Associate Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Bower, C.J., and Greer and Chicchelly, JJ. Opinion by Greer, J. (15 pages)
The juvenile court terminated the mother’s parental rights to F.F., born in 2022, pursuant to Iowa Code section 232.116(1)(h) (2023). On appeal, the mother challenges the statutory ground for termination, argues the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services failed to make reasonable efforts to reunify her with the child, and contends termination is not in the child’s best interests. Alternatively, the mother maintains she should have been given more time to work toward reunification. The mother also raises claims outside of our typical three-step review, asserting F.F. should have been immediately returned to her care after she decided she wanted to parent and the court erred in terminating her rights while leaving intact the rights of a possible biological father. OPINION HOLDS: We affirm the termination of the mother’s parental rights.
