The agreement, which still needs approval from the Los Angeles County board of supervisors, would be the largest in history and have long-lasting financial effects for the county, officials said.

A group of plaintiffs’ attorneys said they filed a lawsuit against the county in 2022 on behalf of more than 1,200 people who alleged they were mistreated and sexually abused in juvenile facilities. The plaintiffs were able to sue because of a California law that took effect in 2020 and suspended for three years the statute of limitations for childhood sex abuse victims to bring cases.

Many of the claims involved the MacLaren Children’s Center, which was closed in 2003. The facility, which was intended to be a safe space for children awaiting placement in foster homes, opened in 1961 and was overseen by probation officials until it was placed under the county’s Department of Children and Family Services in 1976.