SUMMARY: Once a parent’s rights are terminated, the grandparent no longer has a legal interest in the court proceedings.
The children, Crystal, Joshua and Jacob, were adjudicated under 43-247(3)(a) in June 2003. On August 18, 2005, the maternal grandmother, Carol, intervened in the proceedings. On March 30, 2006, the mother’s parental rights were terminated to Crystal and Joshua, and she relinquished her rights to Jacob on December 20th. On December 19, 2007, DHHS motioned to dismiss the grandmother from the proceedings. The juvenile court sustained the motion.
The Court of Appeals held that although grandparents can intervene in dependency proceedings as a matter of right, once a parent’s rights are terminated the relationship between grandparent and grandchild is also terminated. Therefore, the grandmother’s relationship with Crystal, Joshua and Jacob was terminated upon termination of the mother’s rights.