Social Services Records for Doris
Hammack
The following information was obtained from
Detroit Social Services and is published with the permission
of Doris Hammack. The Social Services records contain the
only known facts regarding Ms. Hammack's origin and detail
her years in the foster care system.
Detroit Department of Social Services,
Division A
Placement Record
Permanent Record for:
Case No.: 0863012
Intake Date: August 25, 1960
Social worker assigned: Nina L. Bardwell
Child's name: Doris Hammack
Birth date: *Assigned July 1, 1955
Parental information: Unknown. No known
relatives.
History:
Initial interviews: conducted with prospective foster
parents September 26-28, 1960.
Placement Date: October 3, 1960
Foster parents: Spencer and Vonda Diffee, an established
foster family with our office, residence at 5632 Williams
Ave., Detroit, 48233. Two additional foster children in
their care.
Termination Date: January 11, 1961
Reason:
Several consultations arose as a result of child's problem
with recurring nightmares. Removed from home at foster
parents' request due to Doris' night disturbances and the
problems created for other children already in the Diffees'
care. Doris temporarily placed at Immaculata until another
foster family found; counseling reinitiated for emotional
disturbances.
Placement Date: March 9, 1961
Foster parents: Eugene and Patricia Garrigan, an established
foster family with our office, residence at 235 Faser St.,
Detroit, 48235. No other foster children in their care.
Termination Date: July 1, 1967
Reason:
Doris was removed from care when the Garrigans filed for
divorce. Doris placed at Immaculata until a stable foster
home found. Counseling continuing due to reports of
nightmares and several emotional disturbances. School
reports, however, show that her school performance and
grades remain, on the whole, good during this period.
Placement Date: December 8, 1967
Foster parents: Huey and Melinda James, 11432 Hume Ave.,
Detroit, 48233. One other foster child in their care at
placement.
Termination Date: February 7, 1969
Reason:
Doris was removed from placement on Feb. 7, 1969, due to
severely conflicting emotional needs of the two foster
children.
[Follow-up notation: Feb. 10, 1969: Psychiatric
evaluation showed depressive episode in the wake of
obsessive attachment to foster brother in the James'
household; she was admitted for six weeks of observation and
therapy at Mercy Mental Hospital in Detroit.]
Placement Date: March 24, 1969
Foster parents: Wanda and Karl Nash, an established foster
family with our office, residence at 715-B Hefley St.
(Terrace Apartments), Detroit, 48234. No other foster
children in their care at this time.
Termination Date: September 10, 1971
Reason:
Loss of employment and relocation. Mr. Karl Nash lost his
job and the family had to relocate out of our area. Doris
temporarily reassigned to Immaculata until a new foster
family found.
Placement Date: September 30, 1971
Foster parents: Beth and Rusty Hampton, a newly trained and
approved foster family with our office, residence at 312-D
Bishop Boulevard (Royal Apartments), Detroit, 48236. No
other foster children in their care at this time.
Termination Date: July 17, 1972
Reason:
The Hamptons asked to be relieved of their foster parent
responsibilities. Mrs. Hampton reported that she didn't have
the coping skills and patience needed to deal with the
demands of child-rearing and had no idea how difficult it
would be to supervise a troubled teen-ager. She reported
that Doris continued to have frightening nightmares and
report delusional stories about murder and secrets from
Doris' past; however, the points that convinced the Hamptons
that they could no longer care for Doris were her arrest for
minor infractions (one shoplifting incident on 12/18/71, one
act of vandalism on 7/1/72 when Doris and friends were
caught putting graffiti on the side of a downtown business
building; see copy of juvenile court records for
details).
Placement Date: July 18, 1972
Foster parents: Misty and Parker Buford, an established
foster family with our office, residence at P.O. Box 7171
(435 Wood St.), Detroit, 48235. No other foster children in
their care at this time.
Termination Date: August 1, 1973
Reason: Termination of eligibility for foster care
program
Notes:
Doris graduated from high school in May, 1973. She got a
full-time job at a local car wash and a weekend job waiting
tables. She moved into her own apartment with two roommates
on August 1, 1973.
Medical history during foster care: Unremarkable except
for normal childhood cuts and bruises in playground
accidents, plus one infection from an ear piercing when she
was 13; see annotations in health records.
Educational history: Doris Hammack attended many
different schools due to her frequent changing of school
districts due to changes in foster care environments. See
details in education files. Overall, she maintained
acceptable grades, but reports indicate her performance was
spotty and that she sometimes performed below abilities. She
scored a 23 on her ACT but is not known to have plans for a
college degree.
Termination of social services: August 1973
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