In the Interest of A.P. and B.P., Minor Children, 21-0328

DHS became involved July 2020 after a different child in the father’s care suffered life‑threatening injuries; at that time the father had sole custody and the mother had visitation.
The children were initially placed with a paternal uncle and aunt, then placed with the mother under DHS supervision; in December 2020 the children were adjudicated CINA.
DHS and the court identified ongoing safety concerns in the mother’s home: mother smoking marijuana around the children, lack of supervision, sexualized behavior and exposure to pornography, unknown men in the home, school attendance problems, and aggressive behavior by B.P. (including setting a pillow on fire).
Services (parenting plan, BHIS, solution‑based casework, therapy, safety planning, play therapy, anger management, relative placement) were provided over several months but problems persisted and new assessments were opened.
In February 2021 the juvenile court removed the children from the mother’s custody and placed them with the paternal aunt and uncle; the mother appealed the dispositional order, challenging removal and the sufficiency of DHS’s reunification efforts.
On de novo review the appellate court affirmed: removal was appropriate given safety risks, and DHS had made reasonable efforts toward reunification.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Removal from mother’s custody	Mother: children could be safely maintained in home with services; removal was not appropriate	State/DHS: ongoing founded assessments and continuing safety risks (drug exposure, supervision, sexualized behavior, exposure to pornography, fire risk) justified removal	Affirmed — removal appropriate; children could not be safely maintained in mother’s care
Reasonable efforts to reunify	Mother: DHS delayed or only intensified services after deciding removal; services should have been provided first	State/DHS: DHS initiated multiple services immediately after July 2020, and continued varied interventions while monitoring safety	Affirmed — DHS made reasonable efforts to reunify at this stage of proceedings

In re J.S., 846 N.W.2d 36 (Iowa 2014) (standard of de novo review in CINA proceedings and primary concern is child’s best interests)
In re L.T., 924 N.W.2d 521 (Iowa 2019) (reasonable‑efforts requirement to preserve family unit and eliminate need for removal)