In 2016, the child welfare agency in Chisago County, Minnesota, took a newborn child into foster care. This series charts the agonizing four years spent by his grandmother, Latonia Rolbiecki, trying to bring the child back to his family as his foster parents pursued adoption.

NAACP and Children’s Advocates Submit Federal Civil Rights Complaint Against Minnesota Child Welfare System

1/18/2020

Latonia vs. Chisago County: Born Into Turmoil

This is the first in a series of three articles about Latonia Rolbiecki’s fight to adopt her grandson. On a leafy cul-de-sac neighborhood in suburban Coon Rapids, 15 miles from the din of the Twin Cities, Latonia Rolbiecki keeps her house ready for the day her grandson Tavon* will be there to stay.

1/19/2020

Latonia vs. Chisago County: Endorsed, Then Ignored

This is the second in a series of three articles about Latonia Rolbiecki’s fight to adopt her grandson. Click here to read part one.  In August of 2017, after a yearlong process marked by confusion and miscommunication, Latonia Rolbiecki became a fully licensed foster parent in hopes of bringing home her grandson, Tavon*, who had been placed into foster care by the Chisago County Health and Human Services department.

1/20/2020

Latonia vs. Chisago County: The Trial for Tavon

This is the third in a series of three articles about Latonia Rolbiecki’s fight to adopt her grandson. Click here to read part one, and click here to read part two. 

1/23/2020

Latonia vs. Chisago County: The Appeals Court Looks for Answers

Earlier this week, The Imprint published a three-part series on Latonia Rolbiecki, an African American grandmother in Minnesota who has pursued custody of her grandson for nearly four years while he lives in Chisago County foster care.

NAACP and Children’s Advocates Submit Federal Civil Rights Complaint Against Minnesota Child Welfare System

3/3/2020

Latonia vs. Chisago County: Appeals Court Rules System Did Not Violate Law

Latonia Rolbiecki, a Minnesota woman who has been trying to adopt her grandson from foster care, has lost her case before the state appeals court. The decision paves the way for the child to be adopted by his foster parents, John and Avery Bird.