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 landmark civil rights lawsuit brought by seven transition age foster youth—young people between 16 and 21—who were denied safe housing, behavioral health services, and basic support while in the foster care system. The ruling means the case can move forward, allowing our clients to pursue the systemic reforms they’ve sought since filing suit.
California extended foster care to age 21 for a reason: young people don’t stop needing support the moment they turn 18. For years, Public Counsel’s attorneys and social workers have represented transition age foster youth who have experienced the trauma of family separation and time in the system. They saw firsthand that in L.A. County, there is a vast gap between what the law promises and what young people actually receive. The complaint describes how transition age foster youth with mental health disabilities have ended up homeless, hospitalized, and in some cases assaulted because of these failures in care. L.A. County moved to have the case thrown out before reaching those urgent issues. The Court’s ruling rejected that effort.
Our clients brought this case to ensure that young people in foster care receive the basic housing, services, and support the law promises them. Public Counsel is honored to stand with these brave young people, alongside our co-counsel—Alliance for Children’s Rights, Children’s Rights, and pro bono partner Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP.
To learn more about Ocean S. v. L.A. County, click here.
Together with our clients and partners, Public Counsel will continue seeking accountability and lasting change for transition-age foster youth across L.A. County’s foster care system.
