Function

• In Iowa, a parent always is deemed to be the preferred caretaker of a minor child. The Iowa guardianship laws of minor children represent something of a final resort in caring for the well-being of children.
  
  

Features

• Iowa guardianship laws of minor children require a demonstration that a natural parent is physically, mentally, emotionally or otherwise unfit to provide proper care of her minor child.
  
  

Voluntary Guardianship

• A parent with custody who concludes that she is unable to care for her children because of reasons established in the law can file a petition with the court seeking a guardianship for her child.
  
  

Non-Custodial Parent

• A non-custodial parent must either agree to the guardianship or be demonstrated unfit to care for the needs of a child under the provisions of Iowa Guardianship laws of minor children.
  
  

Involuntary

• The child protection services agency in Iowa legally can take action on its own initiative to seek a court order to remove a child from a home and set up a guardianship for the benefit of that child. The state must demonstrate that the custodial parent is unfit to care for her child.
  
  

Expert Insight

• Establishing a guardianship for a minor child in Iowa is complicated. The assistance of legal counsel is essential to ensuring that all rights and interests appropriately are protected in this type of proceeding.