Department of Human Resources v. Baker

The Georgia Department of Human Resources filed a petition against Danny Baker seeking recovery of child support paid for two children born to him and his former wife. The trial court ruled that [222 GaApp Page 665] Baker was not obligated to reimburse the Department for public assistance paid for the children during the period of time following Baker's execution of a Surrender of Parental Rights/Final Release For Adoption on April 4, 1988, when he was unaware that no adoption had taken place. We granted the Department's application for discretionary review of the trial court's order. 1 Baker has filed no brief in this Court. Baker and his wife were divorced in 1986. The decree provided that Baker was to provide support for two children born of the marriage. His former wife married Charles McCannon in 1987. In 1988, Baker signed a Surrender of Parental Rights to facilitate the children's adoption by his former wife's new husband. He testified that he did not know that the children had not been adopted until after this action was filed. He did, however, testify that he received notification from the Department; he simply believed it was in error. In fact, however, the adoption was never filed, and no order of adoption was ever entered. The former wife is now separated from her new husband. The evidence is in conflict as to whether she told Baker in 1989 that the adoption never took place.