Were You Sexually Abused While in Foster Care?

TLO Law, P.C. represents multiple former foster youth who allege they were sexually abused, exploited, or otherwise harmed while placed in foster care under the supervision of county child welfare agencies in California. The majority of these cases are pending in Sacramento County and involve children who were housed in former detention centers, unlicensed facilities, or other institutional settings while under the care of the Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services and related agencies (Jane Doe #1 (A.W.), et al. vs. Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services, et al., Case No. 25CV016464).

According to the complaints, numerous children were removed from their homes and placed in foster care facilities that were not licensed, not designed for children, or previously operated as juvenile detention or correctional facilities. These placements allegedly included office buildings and former youth detention centers that lacked appropriate supervision, security, staffing, and trauma-informed services. The lawsuits allege that children housed in these facilities were left unsupervised, allowed to come and go freely, and exposed to known risks of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and sex trafficking.

The Sacramento County action, which includes seventeen plaintiffs, alleges that foster youth were placed at facilities such as the Centralized Placement Support Unit (CPSU), Office Building III (OB3), and the Warren E. Thornton Youth Center – locations that were allegedly unsafe, understaffed, and located in high-crime areas known for commercial sexual exploitation. The complaint alleges that county officials knew or should have known that these placements posed serious and foreseeable risks to children but continued to use them despite repeated warnings, regulatory violations, and public reporting.

Related lawsuits filed in Stanislaus County and Placer County raise similar allegations. Those cases involve foster youth placed in residential or foster care programs operated by third-party providers under county oversight, where children allegedly suffered sexual abuse, physical harm, or serious injury due to inadequate supervision, failures to protect vulnerable youth, and violations of mandatory child abuse reporting laws.

Across all cases, the lawsuits allege systemic failures by child welfare agencies and their contracted providers, including negligent supervision, failure to provide safe and licensed placements, failure to comply with mandated reporter obligations, and failure to protect foster youth from known and foreseeable dangers. The plaintiffs allege severe and lasting emotional, psychological, and physical harm as a result of being abused or endangered while in the exclusive care of the foster care system.

These cases raise serious questions about institutional accountability, the treatment of foster youth placed in congregate or emergency care settings, and the legal obligations of counties and child welfare agencies to protect children removed from their homes from further harm.

Former foster youth who were placed in detention-like facilities, office buildings, or other unsafe foster care settings in Sacramento County, Stanislaus County, Placer County, or elsewhere in California may have legal rights. TLO Law, P.C. is actively investigating and litigating these cases. Survivors of foster care sexual abuse and their families are encouraged to contact TLO Law, P.C. for a confidential consultation to learn more about their legal options.

To Read the Full Complaint – Click link below:

Were You or Your Child Sexually Abused while in Sacramento Foster Care:

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We represent clients throughout California, including the entire San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento County, Sonoma County, Napa County, Los Angeles County, San Diego County, Orange County, and all communities statewide. Our attorneys are also licensed to practice law in Missouri, Colorado, and New York and handle cases throughout those states.