In re Interest of B.G.C.

Cara gave up her child B.G.C. for adoption, initially naming Scott as the father, but later revealed the actual father was Daniel (plaintiff), who knew of the pregnancy but never sought to assert parental rights and had a poor parenting record with other children. After courts determined Daniel was the true father who had not relinquished his rights, prospective adoptive parents R.D. and J.D. (defendants) moved to terminate Daniel's parental rights on abandonment grounds to allow the adoption to proceed; the district court found abandonment unproven and denied the petition.