L.A. County Reaches Historic $4 Billion Tentative Settlement Over Child Abuse Claims
The agreement, covering nearly 6,800 claims from decades of abuse in juvenile facilities and foster homes, awaits approval by county boards.
- The $4 billion settlement, the largest of its kind in U.S. history, resolves nearly 6,800 childhood sexual abuse claims against L.A. County.
- The claims primarily involve abuse at juvenile facilities and the MacLaren Children’s Center from the 1980s through the 2000s.
- The settlement was enabled by California's AB 218 law, which temporarily waived the statute of limitations for such cases.
- Payments will be distributed from 2026 to 2030 by independent allocators, pending approval by the L.A. County Claims Board and Board of Supervisors.
- County officials, including CEO Fesia Davenport, issued public apologies and warned of significant financial strain, necessitating budget cuts, reserve fund use, and bond issuance.
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