Why Is There Sexual Abuse in Foster Care Homes?
There is no one reason that sexual abuse of children does occur in foster care homes. Sexual offenders, people who do not respect the rights of children and others will sexually abuse children in a foster care home. Children in foster care homes can be sexually abused, raped, molested or tortured. This horrific treatment of a child in foster care will traumatize the child for the rest of that individual’s life.
Children in foster care who are being sexually abused can exhibit signs of that abuse. Some signs of abuse can include:
- Children of any age who begin to imitate sexual acts with toys, stuffed animals or other household objects.
- Children who begin to wet the bed or suck their thumb, especially after that stage to do so has passed.
- If a child contracts a sexually transmitted disease, there is a high likelihood that the child is being sexually abused.
- Children who are older who start to have unusual weight gain or weight loss.
- Anxiety or depression noted in a child.
- Changes in the child’s hygiene.
- Alcohol or drug use in a child or teenager.
- Running away from the foster home can be a sign of sexual abuse or torture.
- Children suddenly having money.
- Sudden and extreme mood swings with rage, anger, crying or withdrawing.
- Pain, itching or bleeding in the child’s genital areas.
- Nightmares, trouble sleeping, or new fear of the dark.
- Highly risky sexual behavior of the teens or children.
- Self-harming threats or behavior.
- New suicidal thoughts of the child or teenager.
- Sexual fixation shown in the child’s language or drawings at school or home.
- New sexual language beyond the child’s natural developmental stage of growth.
The Responsibility of Foster Care Homes
When a child is placed in a foster care home, that child is in a vulnerable situation. Children who are taken from their homes and parents because of being in a dangerous home environment, need special care and sensitivity when they are placed by social services into a foster home. In the foster home system, it is rampant with foster care parents who routinely sexually assault and sexually abuse young children who are entrusted in their care.
This is an ongoing issue for adults who were previously traumatized by living in a foster care home, where they were sexually assaulted, sexually abused or otherwise sexually traumatized in that home care situation. If you were sexually abused in a foster home, you can call us at the Normandie Law Firm today. We are here to support you now, to help you heal from this egregious trauma. We can help you to discover the next steps to initiating a lawsuit on the merits of your sexual assault claim.
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Sexual Abuse in Foster Care Homes Can Occur at Any Time
There are many different aspects of sexual abuse that can occur in the foster care home. A child can be sexually abused with touching and non-touching behaviors. Such as when a foster parent or an older foster child in the home tries to look at the child’s naked body, the child is exposed to a foster parent’s genitals or naked body, or if the child in the foster home is exposed to pornography. Any child can experience sexual abuse in a foster home.
Average Settlement of Sexual Abuse Claims in Foster Care Homes
The average settlement of a sexual abuse claim for being victimized in a foster care home can be from $500,000 to over $2 million. The final settlement of your case will depend on the extent of your personal injuries, your claim and other facts related to your claim.
Noneconomic Damages of Foster Home Sexual Abuse Claim
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Anxiety from non-touching sexual assault behaviors
What Are the Monetary Damages of a Foster Home Sexual Abuse Claim?
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of potential future wages
- Future therapy sessions to review the trauma of sexual assault
Sample Settlement of Sexual Abuse Cases with Children
Here are some of the sample settlement sexual abuse cases that have involved children who were sexually assaulted by an adult.
- The A.S. v. State of New Jersey case paid $2.35 million to a victim sexually assaulted in foster care at the age of 17 years old.
- A Philadelphia region child welfare agency paid $5 million to a girl who was sexually assaulted by her foster father.
- San Bernardino County in California paid $7.8 million to sexual assault to a boy by his older brother placed with him in a foster home.
- The Ohio State University paid $46,700,000 to 185 students who were sexually abused by a former football team doctor, with the average payout of $252,00.
- USA Figure Skating paid $1.45 million to a student skater who was sexually assaulted as a teenager by the coach.
- The Catholic Diocese paid $19.2 million to 224 people who were sexually assaulted as children by the clergy, with an average payout of $86,000 per victim.
- A school district in Washington paid $4.2 million to a student who was sexually assaulted by a middle school teacher.
- The Burke v. Brentwood Union School District (California) case paid $2 million for sexual assault of a student who was harassed into sexual acts by a male student.
In our society, there are ongoing cases of child sexual abuse and sexual assault, and these cases will be pending in the courts going forward.
AB-218 California Law Allows Higher Case Value for Sexual Assault Cover-Ups
In 2019, AB-218 was signed into law to oversee extending the statute of limitations timeframe for anyone filing a civil lawsuit for a childhood sexual abuse case against a person or organization. This law expands the definition of childhood sexual abuse, and refers to it as childhood sexual assault. The new law AB-218 also allows more time to recover damages for sexual assaults suffered in childhood to a timeframe of the later of: 22 years after reaching the age of majority or 5 years after the date someone discovers that the psychological injury or illness was caused by the experience of a childhood sexual assault.
The law also offers liability for a person or entity for an intentional or negligence causing the childhood sexual assault that resulted in person injuries for the victim. The action cannot start after the victim’s 40th birthday, unless the person or entity responsible for the sexual assault knew or had reason to know of the misconduct by an employee, volunteer, representative, or agent and these individuals failed to take reasonable steps to supply reasonable safeguards to avoid the action of a childhood sexual assault on the victim.
The AB-218 law also allows treble damages if there was an attempt to cover up the childhood sexual assault in a concerted effort to hide the actions of the offending parties. Within the AB-218 law, there is also a three-year lookback window for prior expired claims, and any claim for damages that would have been barred as of January 1, 2020, the time limit is now extended to the later of three years from January 1, 2020 or the statute of limitations period that is in effect as codified by this new law.
It’s Time to Get Justice for Sexual Assault Cases in Foster Care Homes
If you have been sexually assaulted in foster care, there is no need for you to suffer alone in silence. You are permitted to have a strong voice to recover the compensation package that you need in this type of case, to get over the fact of your abuse at such a young age. You just need to call us at the Normandie Law Firm today. We can discuss your foster care sexual assault case, and review all of the issues associated with your case. This way, you will get the benefit of the full recovery compensation package, and will be able to finally heal from your ordeal suffering from the hands of a sexual offender while you were in a foster care home.
What Is the Usual Payout – How Much Can I Get?
The usual payout for a case of foster care sexual assault will depend on the damages and personal injuries associated with the case. That being said, all cases are different and tried on the merits of each specific case. Your own case may settle between $200,000 and up to $2 million, depending on the facts of the case and your specific situation.
What Is the Payout After My Attorney’s Fees?
Your payout after your attorney fees will depend on the exact negotiated settlement for recovery compensation that is presented in your case.
Normandie Law Firm Is on Your Side on a Foster Care Sexual Abuse Case
The Normandie Law Firm is on your side and ready to discuss your sexual abuse case with you now. All that you need to do is to give us a call today, and we can review your case with you. We are here to get you the peace of mind you deserve, as well as the recovery compensation that you need after your trauma of being sexually abused in a foster home.
Free Second Opinion
You can call us today to get a free second opinion on your sexual assault from being in a foster home case. We will review your case with you, and go over the finer details of a winning strategy for your claim.
Zero Fee Guarantee with No Upfront Fees for You to Worry About Paying
We offer a zero-fee guarantee, whereby you don’t have to pay any upfront fees to us before your case settles. This arrangement and guarantee will make it very easy for you to make a call today, and start your lawsuit for sexual abuse in a foster home.
Call for Free Consultation
We are here for you, and we offer a free consultation right now, when you give us a call regarding your case for sexual abuse in a foster home. You can call us any time, and we are ready to talk to you about your claim for personal injuries following a sexual abuse while you were living in foster care.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Foster Care Failure to Report Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Attorney
How long after Sexual Abuse can I Sue a Foster Home
Statute of Limitation – How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit Against Foster Care in California for Abuse Attorney
