M.M.

I.

INTRODUCTION

M.M.’s foster parents, Robert and Emily Ismael, were convicted of criminal

offenses related to Mr. Ismael’s physical abuse of M.M. M.M. sued Los Angeles County,

her Los Angeles County social worker, and the foster care agency that placed her with the

Ismaels for violating her federal civil rights. She also sued the foster care agency for

negligence. The trial court sustained defendants’ demurrers to M.M.’s civil rights claims

without leave to amend and granted summary judgment to the foster care agency on

M.M.’s negligence claims. M.M. appeals, and we reverse in part and affirm in part.

II.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In 2013, when M.M. was two years old and under the jurisdiction of the Los

Angeles County juvenile court, her social worker at the Los Angeles County Department

of Child and Family Services (the Department), Angela Sherzada, placed her with

Koinonia Foster Homes, Inc. Koinonia is a private, non-profit foster care placement

agency, which contracts with the County to provide services for foster children.

Koinonia certified the Ismaels’ home as a licensed foster home and certified the

Ismaels to be foster parents in December…