Latonia Rolbiecki grew up biracial in Minnesota. She is fighting to adopt her grandson, who has been in foster care for nearly four years. Photo: Jillian Lesner
It has been nearly four full years since Latonia Rolbiecki’s grandson was born and was immediately whisked into foster care by the Chisago County Health and Human Services Department. First, she offered to help her son raise the child under her roof.
When that didn’t work out, she became a licensed foster parent per the instructions of the county agency. Still, the child remained in foster care.
In 2018, an independent expert brought in to assess the situation emphatically recommended that Rolbiecki’s grandson belonged with her. Months later, Chisago County entered into an adoption agreement – with the child’s foster parents.
Rolbiecki’s fate is now in the hands of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, her last chance to bring her grandson home. Below are links to The Imprint‘s three-part series on Rolbiecki, race and the role of relatives in the child welfare system.
Part One: Born Into Turmoil
Part Two: Endorsed, Then Ignored
Part Three: The Trial for Tavon
