L.A. County Foster Care Civil Rights Case Moves Forward

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NINTH CIRCUIT CLEARS PATH FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN L.A. COUNTY’S FOSTER CARE SYSTEM TO MOVE FORWARD WITH LANDMARK CIVIL RIGHTS CASE AGAINST COUNTY AND STATE

LOS ANGELES, CA, May 18, 2026 — Thousands of young people in L.A. County’s foster care system sleep in their cars, couch surf with strangers, and struggle to access mental health care—not because the law allows it, but because County and State agencies have ignored their legal obligations for years. Now, a federal appeals court has ruled that seven of those young people have the right to hold those agencies accountable.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has rejected L.A. County’s attempt to dismiss Ocean S. v. Los Angeles County, a civil rights lawsuit brought by seven transition age foster youth—young people between 16 and 21— who allege they were denied safe housing, behavioral health services, and basic support while in the foster care system. The ruling means the case will proceed to the merits, where plaintiffs can pursue the systemic reforms they’ve sought since filing suit.

California extended foster care to age 21 for a reason: the research is clear that young people don’t stop needing support the moment they turn 18. For youth who have experienced the trauma of family separation and time in the system, that support is even more essential. Yet in L.A. County, there is a vast gap between what the law promises and what young people actually receive. Plaintiffs allege that as a result, foster youth with mental health disabilities have ended up homeless, hospitalized, and in some cases physically or sexually assaulted.

The lawsuit, filed by Public Counsel, Alliance for Children’s Rights, Children’s Rights, and pro bono partner Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, seeks systemic relief for foster youth ages 16–21 who have mental health disabilities, including safe housing and trauma-responsive support and mental health services. Plaintiffs also seek to end the defendants’ discriminatory policies and practices, such as screening out youth with disabilities in the housing application process and failing to provide reasonable accommodations to youth with disabilities in placements and services. County defendants had moved to have the case thrown out before reaching those issues. Friday’s ruling rejected that effort.

“Our clients want to send a message to all young people in foster care: You do matter. You deserve care. And you deserve justice,” said Tara Ford, Senior Counsel at Public Counsel. “By allowing our clients to move forward with their case in federal court, the Ninth Circuit is providing these brave young people an opportunity to advocate for housing and crucial services to which transition age youth are entitled. We are committed to supporting our clients in achieving that goal.”

“With this ruling, L.A. County can no longer use delay tactics to avoid accountability while transition-age youth in the County’s foster care system face homelessness, disability discrimination, and the systemic denial of necessary mental health services,” said Leecia Welch, Chief Legal Counsel at Children’s Rights. “These young people have waited long enough. We look forward to vindicating their rights in court.”

“These are our kids. They are in our care. As a community, we’re responsible for making sure they are not unhoused and unsafe or suffering additional harm in our system that’s supposed to take care of them,” said Jennifer Braun, President and CEO of Alliance for Children’s Rights. “Young people in the County’s care have continually made clear that safe housing is both a basic need and an immediate priority for them. It’s long past time we listen to them.”

“The Ninth Circuit has confirmed that our clients have the right to pursue their claims in federal court. We hope the County and State will stop spending resources trying to evade accountability and start working toward real solutions — because with each passing day, young people in their care go unhoused and are denied the mental health services they need,” said Grant Davis-Denny, Partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP.

The coalition and their clients are pushing for reforms that would reach well beyond this case, establishing enforceable standards for how L.A. County and the State of California care for transition age foster youth across the system.