▁and ▁cut s . ▁Sus pect ing ▁child ▁ab use , ▁Bern hardt ▁S . ▁K ram er , ▁the ▁Commission er ▁of ▁the ▁Ul ster ▁County ▁Department ▁of ▁Social ▁Services ▁initi ated ▁parent al ▁neglect ▁proceed ings ▁and ▁removed ▁T ina ▁Santos ky ▁from ▁the ▁cust ody ▁of ▁her ▁parents , ▁John ▁and ▁An nie ▁Santos ky , ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁ 1 0 ▁months ▁later , ▁the ▁Santos k ys ' ▁second ▁child , ▁John ▁II , ▁was ▁removed ▁after ▁he ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁suffering ▁from ▁mal nut r ition . ▁On ▁that ▁same ▁day , ▁An nie ▁Santos ky ▁gave ▁birth ▁to ▁Jed , ▁the ▁couple ' s ▁third ▁child . ▁Three ▁days ▁after ▁Jed ' s ▁birth , ▁he ▁was ▁removed ▁from ▁their ▁cust ody ▁and ▁placed ▁in ▁a ▁fost er ▁home . ▁ ▁About ▁four ▁years ▁later , ▁K ram er ▁pet ition ed ▁the ▁Ul ster ▁County ▁Family ▁Court ▁to ▁re voke ▁parent al ▁rights . ▁Under ▁section ▁ 6 2 2 ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Family ▁Court ▁Act , ▁K ram er ▁was ▁only ▁required ▁to ▁satisfy ▁a ▁" f air ▁pre ponder ance ▁of ▁the ▁evidence " ▁bur den ▁and ▁show ▁that ▁permanent ▁neglect ▁is ▁more ▁likely ▁than ▁not . ▁The ▁Santos k ys ▁challeng ed ▁the ▁constitution ality ▁of ▁this ▁bur den , ▁but ▁the ▁Family ▁Court ▁rejected ▁their ▁challenge ▁and ▁found ▁permanent ▁neglect ▁under ▁the ▁fair ▁pre ponder ance ▁standard . ▁ ▁The ▁Santos k ys