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In re C.S., Minor Child
B.S., Father-Appellant
M.K., Mother-Appellant
Attorney for Appellant Father
Amanda Demichelis
Attorney for Appellant Mother
Ling Harl
Attorney for Appellee State
Tamara Knight, Assistant Attorney General
Guardian ad Litem
Lisa Ann Allison
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, Romonda Belcher, District Associate Judge. AFFIRMED ON BOTH APPEALS. Considered by Greer, P.J., and Schumacher and Ahlers, JJ. Opinion by Ahlers, J. Special Concurrence by Greer, P.J. (12 pages)
A mother and father separately appeal the termination of their respective parental rights to their child. Both argue the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services failed to make reasonable efforts toward reunification and termination is not in the child’s best interests due to the strength of the parent-child bonds. OPINION HOLDS: The department made reasonable efforts to facilitate reunification. Termination is in the child’s best interests, and neither parent established a parent-child bond strong enough to forgo termination. SPECIAL CONCURRENCE ASSERTS: I believe that the mother properly preserved her argument that the department failed to provide reasonable efforts when it provided her with a bus pass in light of her trauma with riding the bus system. But, because the failure to address the issue with the bus pass did not impact the mother’s visitations, I agree with the majority that we should affirm the termination of the mother’s parental rights.