Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 600A.2 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of July 2026

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As used in this chapter: 1. “Adoption service provider” means an agency or a licensed attorney. 2. “Adult” means a person who is married or eighteen years of age or older. 3. “Agency” means a child-placing agency as defined in section 238.1. 4. “Biological parent” means a parent who has been a biological party to the procreation of the child. 5. “Certified adoption investigator” means a person who is certified and approved by the department, after inspection by the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing, as being capable of conducting an investigation under section 600.8. 6. “Child” means a son or daughter of a parent, whether by birth or adoption. 7. “Court” means a district court. 8. “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. A custodian has the rights and duties provided in section 600A.2A. 9. “Department” means the department of health and human services. 10. “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. A guardian has the rights and duties provided in section 600A.2B. A guardian may be a court or a juvenile court. “Guardian” does

Tue Dec 09 21:59:52 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 600A (43, 0) §600A.2, TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS 2\n\nnot mean “conservator”, as defined in section 633.3, although a person who is appointed to be a guardian may also be appointed to be a conservator. 11. “Guardian ad litem” means a person appointed by a court or juvenile court having jurisdiction over the minor child to represent that child in a legal action. A guardian ad litem appointed under this chapter shall be a practicing attorney. 12. a. “Indigent” means any of the following: (1) A person has an income level at or below one hundred twenty-five percent of the United States poverty level as defined by the most recently revised poverty income guidelines published by the United States department of health and human services. (2) A person has an income level greater than one hundred twenty-five percent but at or below two hundred percent of the United States poverty level as defined by the most recently revised poverty income guidelines published by the United States department of health and human services, and the court makes a written finding that not appointing an attorney would create a substantial hardship. b. In making the determination of a person’s ability to pay for the cost of an attorney or a guardian ad litem, the court shall consider the person’s income and the availability of any assets subject to execution, including but not limited to cash, stocks, bonds, and any other property which may be applied to the satisfaction of judgments, and the nature and complexity of the case. 13. “Juvenile court” means the juvenile court established by section 602.7101. 14. “Minor” means an unmarried person who is under the age of eighteen years. 15. “Parent” means a father or mother of a child, whether by birth or adoption. 16. “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. The term extends equally to every child and every parent, regardless of the marital status of the parents of the child. The rights, duties, and privileges recognized in the parent-child relationship include those which are maintained by a guardian, custodian, and guardian ad litem. 17. “Putative father” means a man who is alleged to be or who claims to be the biological father of a child born to a woman to whom the man is not married at the time of birth of the child. 18. “Stepparent” means a person who is the spouse of a parent in a parent-child relationship, but who is not a parent in that parent-child relationship. 19. “Termination of parental rights” means a complete severance and extinguishment of a parent-child relationship between one or both living parents and the child. 20. “To abandon a minor child” means that a parent, putative father, custodian, or guardian rejects the duties imposed by the parent-child relationship, guardianship, or custodianship, which may be evinced by the person, while being able to do so, making no provision or making only a marginal effort to provide for the support of the child or to communicate with the child. [C77, 79, 81, §600A.2] 83 Acts, ch 96, §157, 159; 83 Acts, ch 186, §10111, 10201; 90 Acts, ch 1271, §1510; 94 Acts, ch 1046, §19; 94 Acts, ch 1174, §13, 22; 97 Acts, ch 161, §1; 97 Acts, ch 209, §27, 30; 2005 Acts, ch 107, §2, 14; 2008 Acts, ch 1031, §63; 2009 Acts, ch 133, §248; 2017 Acts, ch 113, §15 – 17; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §1257, 2033; 2024 Acts, ch 1112, §1 Referred to in §233.1, 422.12A, 600.2, 600B.41A, 714I.4\n\n 600A.2A Rights and duties of custodian. 1. The rights and duties of a custodian with respect to a child shall be as follows: a. To maintain or transfer to another the physical possession of that child. b. To protect, train, and discipline that child. c. To provide food, clothing, housing, and ordinary medical care for that child. d. To consent to emergency medical care, including surgery. e. To sign a release of medical information to a health professional.\n\nTue Dec 09 21:59:52 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 600A (43, 0) 3 TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, §600A.4\n\n 2. All rights and duties of a custodian shall be subject to any residual rights and duties remaining in a parent or guardian. 2008 Acts, ch 1031, §64 Referred to in §600A.2

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 136 cases (54 in the last 5 years), 1980–2026 · leading case: In the Interest of G.A., 826 N.W.2d 125 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012).

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In the Interest of G.A., 826 N.W.2d 125 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012). · cites it 5× “[2] Iowa Code section 600A.2 provides definitions, and includes 19.”

In the Interest of M.M.S., 502 N.W.2d 4 (Iowa 1993). · cites it 6× “(The definitions contained in Iowa Code section 600A.2 have since been renumbered alphabetically; the definition of abandonment is now found in Iowa Code section 600A.”

In the Interest of W.W., 826 N.W.2d 706 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012). · cites it 4× “Iowa Code § 600A.2(18) (1995) (emphasis added).”

In the Interest of Goettsche, 311 N.W.2d 104 (Iowa 1981). · cites it 7× “Abandonment is defined in section 600A.2(16): “To abandon a minor child’ means to permanently relinquish or surrender, without reference to any particular person, the parental rights, duties, or privileges inherent in the parent-child relationship.”

In the Interest of B.G.C., 496 N.W.2d 239 (Iowa 1993). · cites it 4× “Iowa Code § 600A.2(16). Abandonment is said to be a relinquishment of parental rights and responsibilities with an intent to forego them.”

In Re the Marriage of Gallagher, 539 N.W.2d 479 (Iowa 1995). · cites it 4× “(3) The previous relationship between the child and the established father, including but not limited to the duration and frequency of any time periods during which the child and established father resided in the same household or engaged in a parent-child relationship as…”

In the Interest of J.P., 499 N.W.2d 334 (Iowa Ct. App. 1993). · cites it 4× “” Iowa Code § 600A.2(4) (1991) (emphasis added).”

Callender v. Skiles, 623 N.W.2d 852 (Iowa 2001). · cites it 4× “(c) The previous relationship between the child and the established father, including but not limited to the duration and frequency of any time periods during which the child and established father resided in the same household or engaged in a parent-child relationship as…”

In the Interest of C.A.V., 787 N.W.2d 96 (Iowa Ct. App. 2010). · cites it 2× “h the child or with the person having the care or custody of the child, when physically and financially unable to visit the child or when prevented from visiting the child by the person having lawful custody of the child; and (3) openly living with the child for a period of six…”

Dye v. Geiger, 554 N.W.2d 538 (Iowa 1996). · cites it 2× “(3) The previous relationship between the child and the established father, includ- *540 mg but not limited to the duration and frequency of any time periods during which the child and established father resided in the same household or engaged in a parent-child relationship as…”

In the Interest of R.L.F., 437 N.W.2d 599 (Iowa Ct. App. 1989). · cites it 2× “The identical statutory definition of abandonment is found in a similar section of the Iowa Code, section 600A.2(16). The Iowa Supreme Court interpreted this definition of abandonment as the giving up of parental rights and responsibilities accompanied by an intent to forego…”

Crouse v. Crouse, 1996 SD 95 (S.D. 1996). “” Iowa Code Ann § 600A.2 (West 1981 & Supp 1995).”

Show all 136 citing cases →

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(10) — 2 cases

In the Interest of M.S. & E.S., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2020).

In the Interest of M.S. & J.S., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2026).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(11) — 1 case

In the Interest of P.B., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2023).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(14) — 1 case

In the Interest of J.W., Minor Child, A.W., E.D., Mother (Iowa Ct. App. 2015).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(15) — 1 case

In the Interest of K.M., Minor Child, M.M., F.D. (Iowa Ct. App. 2015).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(16) — 6 cases

In the Interest of Goettsche, 311 N.W.2d 104 (Iowa 1981). “Abandonment is defined in section 600A.2(16): “To abandon a minor child’ means to permanently relinquish or surrender, without reference to any particular person, the parental rights, duties, or privileges inherent in the parent-child relationship.”

In the Interest of B.G.C., 496 N.W.2d 239 (Iowa 1993). “Iowa Code § 600A.2(16). Abandonment is said to be a relinquishment of parental rights and responsibilities with an intent to forego them.”

In the Interest of M.M.S., 502 N.W.2d 4 (Iowa 1993). “(The definitions contained in Iowa Code section 600A.2 have since been renumbered alphabetically; the definition of abandonment is now found in Iowa Code section 600A.”

In the Interest of R.L.F., 437 N.W.2d 599 (Iowa Ct. App. 1989). “The identical statutory definition of abandonment is found in a similar section of the Iowa Code, section 600A.2(16). The Iowa Supreme Court interpreted this definition of abandonment as the giving up of parental rights and responsibilities accompanied by an intent to forego…”

In the Interest of N.D.D., 434 N.W.2d 919 (Iowa Ct. App. 1988).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(17) — 3 cases

In the Interest of T.Q., 519 N.W.2d 105 (Iowa Ct. App. 1994).

In the Interest of O.M. & N.M., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2025).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(18) — 2 cases

In the Interest of W.W., 826 N.W.2d 706 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012). “Iowa Code § 600A.2(18) (1995) (emphasis added).”

In the Interest of B.G.B., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2020).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(18)(1995) — 1 case

In the Interest of G.A., 826 N.W.2d 125 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012). “[2] Iowa Code section 600A.2 provides definitions, and includes 19.”

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(19) — 57 cases

In the Interest of W.W., 826 N.W.2d 706 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012). “Iowa Code § 600A.2(18) (1995) (emphasis added).”

In the Interest of G.A., 826 N.W.2d 125 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012). “[2] Iowa Code section 600A.2 provides definitions, and includes 19.”

In the Interest of C.A.V., 787 N.W.2d 96 (Iowa Ct. App. 2010). “h the child or with the person having the care or custody of the child, when physically and financially unable to visit the child or when prevented from visiting the child by the person having lawful custody of the child; and (3) openly living with the child for a period of six…”

In the Interest of R.T., Minor Child, K.T., Grandmother, R.N., Mother (Iowa Ct. App. 2017).

In the Interest of A.L., Minor Child, 922 N.W.2d 105 (Iowa Ct. App. 2018).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(20) — 56 cases

In the Interest of L.H., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2023).

In the Interest of O.W., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2025).

In the Interest of K.D., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2021).

In the Interest of R.G., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2022).

In the Interest of C.W., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2022).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(4) — 3 cases

In the Interest of J.P., 499 N.W.2d 334 (Iowa Ct. App. 1993). “” Iowa Code § 600A.2(4) (1991) (emphasis added).”

Burgmaier v. Iowa Dep't of Human Servs., 570 N.W.2d 109 (Iowa 1997).

Hardin Cnty. v. Franklin Cnty., 492 N.W.2d 407 (Iowa 1992).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(6) — 1 case

In the Interest of J.W., Minor Child, A.W., E.D., Mother (Iowa Ct. App. 2015).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(7) — 1 case

A.L. v. S.B.B., 345 N.W.2d 147 (Iowa Ct. App. 1983).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(8) — 3 cases

In the Interest of C.S., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2022).

In the Interest of M.S. & E.S., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2020).

In the Interest of J.D., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2023).

— Iowa Code § 600A.2(8)(3)(b) — 1 case

In the Interest of H.N. & E.N., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2020).

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