Adoption of Rhona

TMs is an appeal arising out of proceedings held after a remand by this court in the case of Adoption of Rhona, 57 Mass. App. Ct. 479 (2003). In that case we held that there was insufficient evidence that Rhona’s biological mother and father did not have a current ability to parent Rhona. We determined that the trial court had relied on stale evidence of the mother’s substance abuse; ignored evidence of the mother’s sobriety; and did not consider evidence of the mother’s ability to parent Nancy, a younger sibling of Rhona who was in the mother’s custody.2 We also held that the trial court did…