Turpin Children Reach Settlement With Riverside County, ChildNet Over Foster Care Abuse Claims

A civil lawsuit filed on behalf of the Turpin children has been settled, marking a major development in a case that shocked the nation and raised serious questions about Child Protective Services in Riverside County.

The lawsuit alleged that six of the Turpin children suffered abuse not only in their biological home in Perris, but again while placed in foster care after their rescue.

The Turpin case began in 2018, when one of the children escaped from the family’s home and alerted authorities to years of severe abuse and neglect. That escape led to a sweeping investigation, criminal charges against the parents, and eventually civil lawsuits targeting Riverside County Child Protective Services and ChildNet, the foster family agency responsible for placing some of the children.

According to attorneys for the family, after six of the children were removed from their biological parents, they were placed in a foster home where abuse allegedly continued at the hands of foster parents Marcelino and Rosa Olguin and their adult daughter, Lenny Olguin. Attorneys argue the foster parents should never have been approved, citing prior abuse complaints.

The lawsuit also named ChildNet, accusing the agency of failing to properly vet and monitor the foster placement. ChildNet disputes those claims.

In a statement, ChildNet said, “During the time the children were in ChildNet’s foster care program, there were no complaints or allegations of abuse or neglect regarding their foster placement. The allegations raised in this matter came after the children were no longer in ChildNet’s care and after the foster care case had been closed. ChildNet had no oversight authority following the adoption and has no knowledge of what occurred thereafter.”

Attorneys for the Turpin family say the settlement requires ChildNet to pay a substantial, confidential amount of compensation. Since the Turpin children came forward, the Riverside County has implemented systemic changes.

In a statement, Riverside County said, “We continue to stay in touch and provide ongoing support to many of the family members. Their experiences, and those of other vulnerable children, led the County to initiate the independent investigation by former federal Judge Stephen Larson in 2021, which resulted in significant reforms to how the County serves and protects children in its care.”

County officials also confirmed they are no longer working with ChildNet.

Despite the reforms, county leaders acknowledge ongoing challenges within the child welfare system, including a shortage of foster placements, workforce pressures, and limited access to housing and treatment services across Southern California.