McMain v. Iowa District Court for Polk County

LARSON, Justice.

Kala McMain is a nine-year-old child whose life has been so traumatized by psychological problems and dysfunctional care givers that the probate court perceived a need for, and ordered, an extraordinary measure: visitation with her paternal grandparents despite the fact that the court had denied the grandparents’ petition for their own appointment as guardians and despite the primary-care parent’s objection to grandparent visitation. While we agree that Kala has special needs, grandparent visitation under the facts of this case lacks statutory or common-law support, and we…