The foster care system exists to protect vulnerable children from abuse and neglect. Yet far too often, the very system designed to keep children safe becomes a place where sexual abuse occurs. Children in foster care face significantly higher risks of sexual abuse than their peers in the general population—research shows that children in foster care are approximately four times more likely to experience sexual abuse than children living with their biological families.

At Dordick Law Corporation, we have spent nearly 40 years helping survivors of sexual abuse hold abusers and negligent institutions accountable. Our foster care sexual abuse lawyers in Southern California understand the profound trauma that foster care sexual abuse inflicts on survivors and their families. We also understand the systemic failures that allow this abuse to happen. Our team works tirelessly to investigate these cases, identify all responsible parties, and secure the compensation survivors deserve.

If your child experienced sexual abuse while in foster care in Southern California, you have legal options. We offer a free, confidential consultation to discuss your case and explain your rights. Our experienced sexual abuse attorneys are ready to help.

How Dordick Law Corporation Helps Foster Care Abuse Survivors

Our approach to foster care abuse cases combines thorough investigation, aggressive advocacy, and compassionate representation. Led by Gary A. Dordick, our firm brings decades of experience to these complex cases.

Our Investigative Approach

We begin by listening to your story. We understand that discussing abuse requires courage, and we create a safe, confidential environment for that conversation. Then, we conduct a comprehensive investigation that includes:

• Obtaining and reviewing all social services records
• Interviewing social workers, foster parents, and other witnesses
• Analyzing agency policies and procedures
• Identifying systemic failures that enabled abuse
• Consulting with experts in child psychology, social work, and institutional negligence
• Examining the abuser’s history for prior complaints or allegations

This thorough investigation builds a compelling case that demonstrates not only what happened, but why the system failed to prevent it. Our case results demonstrate our success in securing substantial compensation for survivors.

Holding Negligent Agencies Accountable

We do not accept explanations that abuse was unforeseeable or unavoidable. We hold agencies accountable for their failures. Our firm demonstrates how proper background checks would have identified warning signs. We show how timely investigations would have removed children from danger. We prove that adequate supervision would have prevented abuse. Our attorneys have successfully pursued premises liability claims against institutions that failed to protect children.

Securing Maximum Compensation

Our firm pursue all available sources of compensation. We file claims against foster care agencies, social services departments, and their insurance carriers. We pursue punitive damages against defendants whose conduct was particularly reckless or intentional. Our lawyers work to ensure survivors receive full compensation for their injuries.

Compassionate Representation

Our lawyers recognize that litigation can be traumatic for survivors. We handle your case with sensitivity and respect. Our lawyers will also keep you informed throughout the process. We answer your questions and address your concerns. Additionally, we fight for your rights while honoring your healing journey. Our team includes experienced trial attorneys dedicated to victim advocacy.

Free Confidential Consultation

We offer a free, confidential consultation to discuss your case. During this consultation, we listen to your story, answer your questions, and explain your legal options. Also, we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. Contact Dordick Law Corporation today at (310) 551-0949 to schedule your consultation.

Understanding Foster Care Sexual Abuse in California

Foster care environments create unique vulnerabilities that predators exploit. Children enter the foster care system already traumatized by separation from their families. They arrive frightened, confused, and desperate to please authority figures. This emotional state makes them particularly susceptible to manipulation and abuse.

The foster care system in California serves approximately 46,000 children at any given time. Despite this large population, the system operates with significant resource constraints. Social workers carry overwhelming caseloads, background checks remain incomplete, and supervision of foster homes falls short of what children need and deserve. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, foster care systems must maintain rigorous oversight standards, yet many fail to meet these requirements.

Sexual abuse in foster care takes many forms. It occurs in licensed foster homes, group homes, and residential facilities. Abusers include foster parents, other residents, staff members, and visitors with access to children. Some abuse happens during the first days of placement, before proper screening occurs. Other abuse develops over months or years as predators groom children and exploit their isolation.

The statistics are sobering. Research indicates that children in group homes face significantly higher abuse risks than children in the general population. These numbers represent real children whose safety the system failed to protect. When institutions fail in their duty to supervise and protect, survivors have the right to pursue institutional liability claims against those responsible. Our case results demonstrate our track record of holding negligent institutions accountable.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Foster Care Sexual Abuse?

One critical difference between foster care abuse cases and other sexual abuse claims involves the number of potentially liable parties. You do not pursue justice against only the individual abuser. Instead, you hold accountable the institutions and individuals whose negligence enabled the abuse to occur.

Foster Parents and Caregivers

The person who directly committed the abuse bears responsibility for their criminal conduct. However, they rarely possess sufficient assets to compensate survivors adequately. Pursuing claims against the agencies that placed children with these individuals is often more productive.

Foster Care Agencies

Private and public agencies that license and oversee foster homes bear responsibility for negligent hiring, retention, and supervision. These agencies failed to conduct thorough background checks, failed to investigate complaints, or failed to remove children from dangerous situations. Under California law, these agencies have a duty to protect children in their care.

Social Workers and Case Managers

Child protective services workers have legal duties to investigate abuse reports, conduct home visits, and monitor child safety. When they fail to perform these duties, they contribute to the abuse. Our attorneys have successfully pursued claims against social services departments for negligent case management.

County Child Protective Services

County agencies bear institutional responsibility for systemic failures in oversight, investigation, and child protection. These entities must maintain adequate staffing and training to fulfill their protective mandate.

Background Screening Failures

Entities responsible for conducting background checks bear liability when they fail to identify prior abuse allegations, criminal history, or warning signs. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network emphasizes the importance of thorough vetting in child-serving organizations.

Insurance Carriers

Foster care agencies and institutions carry liability insurance. These policies cover damages awarded in abuse cases, making insurance companies important defendants in litigation.

Identifying all liable parties requires thorough investigation. Our attorneys examine agency records, interview witnesses, review social worker files, and analyze systemic failures that allowed abuse to occur. This comprehensive approach mirrors our work in other child abuse cases, such as schools, where institutional negligence enables harm.

Signs Your Child May Have Experienced Sexual Abuse in Foster Care

Recognizing abuse requires understanding how trauma manifests in children. Abuse survivors often cannot articulate what happened to them. Instead, their trauma emerges through signs such as behavioral changes, emotional distress, and physical symptoms.

Behavioral Changes

Children who experience sexual abuse often exhibit sudden behavioral shifts. They may become withdrawn and isolate themselves from others. Conversely, some children display increased aggression or act out sexually. Some children regress to earlier developmental stages—a previously toilet-trained child may begin having accidents, or a child may resume thumb-sucking or baby talk.

Emotional and Psychological Symptoms

Survivors frequently experience depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. They may express suicidal thoughts or engage in self-harm. Some children display excessive fear of specific people or situations without clear explanation. These psychological injuries often require extensive mental health treatment and can form the basis for substantial damage awards.

Physical Signs

Physical indicators include unexplained injuries to genital or anal areas, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy in young adolescents, or torn or stained underclothing. Some children report pain during urination or bowel movements. Medical documentation of these signs strengthens legal claims significantly.

Sexual Knowledge or Behavior

Young children who have experienced sexual abuse sometimes display sexual knowledge inappropriate for their developmental stage. They may engage in sexual play with other children, use sexually explicit language, or draw sexually explicit pictures. This behavioral indicator often prompts initial abuse disclosures.

Regression and Developmental Changes

Children may experience sleep disturbances, nightmares, or fear of the dark. Some develop eating disorders or refuse to eat. Others display sudden changes in school performance or attendance. These changes often coincide with placement in abusive foster homes.

Trauma Responses

Some children freeze or dissociate when reminded of their abuse. Others experience panic attacks or anxiety in situations that trigger memories of the trauma. Understanding these responses helps attorneys and families recognize abuse patterns.

If you notice these signs in your child, seek professional evaluation immediately. Document the changes you observe and preserve any evidence. Contact law enforcement to report the abuse, and then reach out to an experienced foster care abuse attorney who can protect your child’s legal rights. Our Los Angeles office, Riverside office, & Beverly Hills Office serve survivors throughout Southern California. The American Academy of Pediatrics also provides clinical guidance on identifying abuse indicators in children.

California’s Legal Protections for Foster Care Abuse Survivors

California law provides important protections for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, including those abused in foster care. Understanding these protections is essential for pursuing justice.

Assembly Bill 218 and Extended Statute of Limitations

Historically, California imposed strict time limits on filing sexual abuse claims. AB 218, effective January 1, 2020, extended the statute of limitations for survivors to file civil claims for childhood sexual abuse. Under current law, survivors may file claims until age 40 or within 5 years from discovery of psychological injury, whichever is later. A special revival window that allowed claims regardless of age expired on December 31, 2022. We recommend contacting an attorney promptly to ensure your claim is filed within applicable time limits.

This change recognizes an important reality: many survivors do not come forward immediately. Trauma, shame, fear, and confusion often prevent disclosure for years or even decades. AB 218 ensures that survivors retain the right to pursue justice within the extended timeframe. The California Legislature enacted this protection recognizing the delayed nature of abuse disclosures.

Negligent Supervision and Retention Claims

California law holds institutions liable for negligent supervision when they fail to protect children in their care. Foster care agencies and social services departments have legal duties to:

• Conduct thorough background investigations before placing children with caregivers
• Investigate abuse allegations promptly and thoroughly
• Remove children from dangerous situations
• Conduct regular home visits and monitor child safety
• Maintain accurate records of complaints and investigations
• Provide adequate training to staff and foster parents

When agencies breach these duties and abuse results, survivors can recover damages. Our attorneys have successfully pursued negligent supervision claims against foster care agencies throughout Southern California.

Institutional Liability Frameworks

California recognizes that institutions bear responsibility for systemic failures. Courts examine whether agencies had policies and procedures designed to prevent abuse, whether they implemented those policies, and whether they trained staff appropriately. Failures in any of these areas support liability claims.

Damages Available to Survivors

Foster care abuse survivors can recover multiple categories of damages:

• Medical and mental health treatment costs
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and trauma
• Lost wages and lost earning capacity
• Punitive damages (designed to punish defendants for particularly egregious conduct).
• In cases of death, wrongful death damages

Punitive damages require proof of malice, oppression, or fraud and are generally not available against public agencies. However, private foster care agencies and individuals whose conduct meets this higher standard may be liable for punitive damages.

Compensation amounts vary based on the severity of abuse, the extent of injuries, and the strength of evidence. Some cases result in settlements or verdicts exceeding millions of dollars. Our case results page showcases successful recoveries for abuse survivors.

Why Acting Quickly Matters

Although AB 218 extended the statute of limitations, acting promptly remains important. Evidence deteriorates over time. Witnesses’ memories fade. Documents get lost or destroyed. Additionally, you must file your claim before age 40 or within 5 years from discovery of psychological injury, whichever is later. The sooner you contact a foster care sexual abuse attorney in Southern California, the sooner we can begin preserving evidence and building your case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Dordick Law Corporation Today

If your child has been sexually abused at foster care facility, contact Dordick Law Corporation for a free, confidential consultation. Our team of Southern California foster care sexual abuse attorneys are ready to discuss your case, answer your questions, and explain your legal options. Our firm represents families on a contingency fee basis—you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for your family.

Call (310) 551-0949 or complete our online contact form to schedule your free consultation. Let us help you pursue justice and the compensation your family deserves.