Opinion
No. 5-285 / 04-1937
Filed April 28, 2005
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Warren County, Richard P. Clogg, District Associate Judge.
A father appeals from a juvenile court order terminating his parental rights to two children. AFFIRMED.
Karen A. Taylor of Taylor Law Offices, Des Moines, for appellant-father.
Thomas J. Miller, Attorney General, Kathrine S. Miller-Todd, Assisstant Attorney General, Gary Kendall, County Attorney, and Alyssa Kenville, Assistant County Attorney, for appellee-State.
Jeffrey Mains of Mains Law Office, P.L.C., Des Moines, guardian ad litem for minor children.
Kevin Hobbs, Des Moines, for mother.
Considered by Sackett, C.J., and Zimmer and Hecht, JJ.
A father appeals from the juvenile court order terminating his parental rights to his two daughters. He contends the evidence does not support termination under any of the Iowa Code sections cited by the court. On de novo review, we affirm.
Jason is the father of Amanda, born in 1995, and Karleigh, born in 1998. At the time of the girls' removal from their mother's care in February 2003, Jason was incarcerated. He had pled guilty to reckless use of fire, child endangerment causing injury, domestic abuse assault with a dangerous weapon, and first-degree harassment. The child injured is a half-sibling of Amanda and Karleigh. Following services to the mother, the girls were returned to her care in June 2004. The State petitioned to terminate Jason's parental rights to Amanda and Karleigh in August. Following a hearing in November, in which Jason participated by telephone, the juvenile court terminated his parental rights under Iowa Code sections 232.116(1)(b), (d), (e), (f), (i), and (j) (2003).
When a juvenile court terminates a parent's rights on more than one statutory ground, we will affirm if at least one ground has been proved by clear and convincing evidence. In re R.R.K., 554 N.W.2d 274, 276 (Iowa Ct.App. 1995). At the time of the termination hearing, Jason was incarcerated for child endangerment causing injury to a half-sibling in the household. Amanda and Karleigh could not be returned to his care at that time. On de novo review of the record, we affirm the termination of Jason's parental rights under Iowa Code sections 232.116(1)(f) and (j). The State proved these statutory grounds for termination by clear and convincing evidence.
AFFIRMED.
I recognize in affirming this termination we are also terminating any obligation of Jason to provide financial support for his daughters. While Jason is not currently providing even minimal support to these children, he is to other of his children and he may be able to contribute to the support of these children in the future. Our supreme court has said the fact financial support, if any, by or through the parents is cut off by termination is not a reason not to terminate if the grounds for termination have been met. See In re L.S., 483 N.W.2d 836, 840 (Iowa 1992). While I have no difficulty terminating this inadequate father's parental rights to the children, I have difficulty terminating his parental obligation to support the children, putting the responsibility for support on the mother and probably the taxpayers.