Social Services placement record
The following information was obtained from Detroit Social Services 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 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 teenager. 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 arrests 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
