1. The following persons may petition a juvenile court for termination of parental rights under this chapter if the child of the parent-child relationship is born or expected to be born within one hundred eighty days of the date of petition filing:

 a. A parent or prospective parent of the parent-child relationship.
 b. A custodian or guardian of the child.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 600A.5

  • Child: means a son or daughter of a parent, whether by birth or adoption. See Iowa Code 600A.2
  • Court: means a district court. See Iowa Code 600A.2
  • Custodian: means a stepparent or a relative within the fourth degree of consanguinity to a minor child who has assumed responsibility for that child, a person who has accepted a release of custody, or a person appointed by a court or juvenile court having jurisdiction over a child. See Iowa Code 600A.2
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Guardian: means a person who is not the parent of a minor child, but who has been appointed by a court or juvenile court having jurisdiction over the minor child to make important decisions which have permanent effect on the life and development of that child and to promote the general welfare of that child. See Iowa Code 600A.2
  • Juvenile court: means the juvenile court established by section 602. See Iowa Code 600A.2
  • Minor: means an unmarried person who is under the age of eighteen years. See Iowa Code 600A.2
  • Parent: means a father or mother of a child, whether by birth or adoption. See Iowa Code 600A.2
  • Parent-child relationship: means the relationship between a parent and a child recognized by the law as conferring certain rights and privileges and imposing certain duties. See Iowa Code 600A.2
  • security: includes , but is not limited to, a certificated security, an uncertificated security, and a security account. See Iowa Code 633D.2
  • Signature: includes an electronic signature as defined in section 554D. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Termination of parental rights: means a complete severance and extinguishment of a parent-child relationship between one or both living parents and the child. See Iowa Code 600A.2
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
 2. A petition for termination of parental rights shall be filed, and venue shall lie, with the juvenile court in the county in which the guardian or custodian of the child resides or the child, the biological mother, or the pregnant woman is domiciled. If a juvenile court has made an order pertaining to a minor child under chapter 232, subchapter III, and that order is still in force, the termination proceedings shall be conducted pursuant to the provisions of chapter 232, subchapter IV.
 3. A petition for termination of parental rights shall include the following:

 a. The legal name, age, and domicile, if any, of the child.
 b. The names, residences, and domicile of any:

 (1) Living parents of the child.
 (2) Guardian of the child.
 (3) Custodian of the child.
 (4) Guardian ad litem of the child.
 (5) Petitioner.
 (6) Person standing in the place of the parents of the child.
 c. A plain statement of the facts and grounds in section 600A.8 which indicate that the parent-child relationship should be terminated.
 d. A plain statement explaining why the petitioner does not know any of the information required under paragraphs “a” and “b” of this subsection.
 e. The signature and verification of the petitioner.
 4. If the petitioner alleges and affirms in the verified petition that the petitioner has a legitimate concern for the safety or security of the child or petitioner, all of the following shall apply:

 a. Notwithstanding subsection 2, the petitioner may file the petition in a county within the same judicial district but other than those counties specified, and venue shall be in the county in which the petition is filed.
 b. The court shall keep confidential the residence and domicile of the child and the petitioner disclosed in the petition.
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