State ex rel. Wallace v. Lhotan

On September 4, 1970, the petitioner voluntarily placed her six children in foster care. At the time she was unable to care for them and had severe emotional problems consistent with post partum depression. The Department of Social Services (the Department) accepted the children and placed them in three homes: the two oldest, Cheryl and Patricia, were placed with the appellants George and Dorothy Lhotan; the younger girls, Cathleen and Cynthia, were placed with a Mr. and Mrs. Dunne; and the boys, John and William were placed with a third family. The children were never surrendered for…