Opinion
No. 8-631 / 08-0981.
Filed July 30, 2008.
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County, Mary L. Timko, Associate Juvenile Judge.
A mother appeals the termination of her parental rights to her child. AFFIRMED.
Lori Ubbinga, Sioux City, for appellant mother.
Thomas J. Miller, Attorney General, Kathrine S. Miller-Todd, Assistant Attorney General, Patrick Jennings, County Attorney, and Cindy Weber-Blair, Assistant County Attorney, for appellee State.
Brian Buckmeier, Sioux City, for appellee father.
Marchelle Denker of Juvenile Law Center, Sioux City, for minor child.
Considered by MAHAN, P.J., and ZIMMER and VAITHESWARAN, JJ.
Christine was the mother of Samarah, born in 2006. She consented to the termination of her parental rights to the child. See Iowa Code § 232.116(1)(a) (2007). On appeal, she does not contend her consent was involuntary. Her sole argument is that "[t]he State did not provide reasonable efforts to reunify [her] with the child." See In re C.B., 611 N.W.2d 489, 493 (Iowa 2000) (stating State has obligation to make reasonable efforts toward reunification). Bypassing the question of whether Christine waived this argument by consenting to the termination of her parental rights, we proceed to the merits. Our review of the record is de novo. Id. at 492.
Before the second day of the termination hearing, Christine executed a consent document. The juvenile court allowed the State to amend its termination to petition to allege this ground for termination.
Christine was just nineteen years old at the time of the termination proceeding. She struggled with substance abuse and co-dependency issues and experienced depression and anger. She and her husband fought constantly and did not maintain a sanitary home. As a result, Samarah was removed from her care.
Following the child's removal, the Department of Human Services afforded Christine a wide array of reunification services. These services included a psychological assessment, a psychosocial evaluation, a psychiatric evaluation, supervised visitation, anger management counseling, individual therapy, chemical dependency therapy, and transitional housing. The department also facilitated Christine's participation in a "Youth Build" program that focused on developing job skills, self-esteem, confidence, teamwork, and skills to handle adversity. Christine acknowledged that her participation in some of these services was spotty.
Based on this record, we conclude the department satisfied its reasonable efforts obligation. We affirm the termination of Christine's parental rights to Samarah.
AFFIRMED.