Adoption of Flora

After Flora (bom on December 9, 1991) and Neil (bom on December 19, 1999) had been in foster care for almost fifteen months, the Department of Social Services (department) moved to amend care and protection petitions it had previously filed so as to terminate the rights of the children’s parents.2 See G. L. c. 119, § 26.3 Decrees entered on April 5, 2002, terminating the parental rights of the children’s mother and of Neil’s father. Although the department’s petition originally sought to terminate the rights of Flora’s father, on the third day of trial, he and the department entered into a…