What You Need to Know About Grandparents Rights in Iowa

A bill was passed through the Iowa Senate March 13th, 2007 that gave Grandparents Rights to petition the courts for visitation. I decided to look into the new bill and did some research on my own and was amazed at how many attorneys in Iowa had absolutly no idea that this bill was in affect . I started researching in July. I next walked into our local Department of Human Services office better known as DHS and was treated to a rather rude nasty conversation with the lead receptionist. I asked her if their agency offered any information concerning Grandparents Rights in Iowa and was immediately greeted with attitude. She told me there was no such thing as Grandparents Rights and gave me her opinion on her slant on the new bill after I informed her that a bill had been passed. She felt that the new bill wasn't fair to the parent. I left shortly after our conversation.

I next went to one of our local hospitals where I made my way to the cafeteria to talk to visitors and staff. I was soon approached by seven different grandmothers all with a story to tell of how they had been denied their grandchildren. One grandmother had not seen her grandchildren for three years due to a divorce. It did not shock me to learn that these woman had not known about the bill being passed giving Grandparents Rights in Iowa. Why should the general public know about a new bill when a state agency and practicing attorneys didn't realise. I spent most of the afternoon talking to people asking them if they had heard about the new bill being passed and the majority had no idea it existed.