In re Adoption of Masa

The question before us is whether appellee had justifiable cause for his failure to support his daughter in the year prior to the filing of this adoption petition, given the fact that his sole income during this period was a minimal welfare payment of eighty-three dollars per month. We answer that question in the affirmative.

Our analysis must begin with the recognition that the right of a natural parent to the care and custody of his children is one of the most precious and fundamental in law. Santosky v. Kramer (1982), 455 U.S. 745, 753; In re Baby Girl Baxter (1985), 17 Ohio St. 3d 229,…