Get to Know Us
Our Mission
Protecting children from incest, abuse and domestic violence through research, education and advocacy
One life story can change your life. One story can make you stand up for change. One story led to starting California Protective Parents Association (CPPA).
Josie Cohen is the mother who tried to protect her son from being molested by his father in the 1990’s. Even though there were 63 mandated reports with Children Protective Services (CPS) and 7 or 8 substantiated instances of abuse, the DA chose not to prosecute. Jack was forced to live with his father from ages 8 to 18 after his mother died from breast cancer. Later, his maternal grandmother repeatedly allowed Jack’s abuser to have unsupervised time with his victim.
California Protective Parents Association (CPPA) was formed in 1998 by Connie Valentine and Karen Anderson to ensure there would be an end to abuse in our family courts and children could be safe at home.
Our Board
Ana Estevez
Board Member
Ana Estevez is the founder of Piqui's Justice. She became an advocate for protective parents when her son's abuse was not believed. Her ex-husband murdered her son within a week of the court refusing to protect her child. She has been a force for change on the federal and state level, helping to pass H. Con. Res. 72 in the House of Representatives and working with CA Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio to introduce and pass a resolution for child safety as a first priority, Piqui's Resolution, HR 113, named after her son. As a veteran, educator and former principal, it is no wonder she has been named a California Woman of the Year for 2019.
Roberta Fitzpatrick
Board Member
Roberta Fitzpatrick is a retired school teacher. She is the great aunt of Alycia Mesiti-Allen (14) who was murdered by her father in 2006 after the court refused custody to the protective mother. He reported her missing after he buried her in the backyard. Alycia endured being drugged and raped while her father videoed these heinous crimes. Roberta became a family court crisis advocate and has been a voice for not only Alycia, but for the hundreds of children senselessly murdered by a parent even when a history of abuse had been reported.
Jennifer Hilton
Board Member
Jennifer Hilton has her Juris Doctor in International and Comparative Law from University of California, Hasting College of Law, 2008. She is a Family and Civil Law attorney with extensive litigation and appellate experience and is currently a partner at Robinson & Hilton, Attorneys in Law. Jennifer was a victim of domestic violence and a protective parent. In 2009, Jennifer went through a year long court battle when her ex-husband filed a case against her under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abduction. Jennifer's son was saved and the Hague petition denied by two main intervening factors: the judge interviewed Jennifer's then 11 year old son and believed his story, and her son had a minor's counsel that actually advocated for his wishes. Jennifer lives in the SF Bay Area with her family.
Kim M. Robinson
Board Member
Kim Robinson has been a California attorney since 1988 and has practiced in the area of family law since 1994. She was the attorney for the mother in Marriage of Lamusga (2004) 32 Cal. 4th 1072, one of the leading move-away case in the state. Kim is based in Oakland, California and represents domestic violence victims.
Sandra Ross
Board Member
As an experienced child safety advocate, for more than a dozen years Sandy has been on the front lines of a national child safety crisis. She has been working countless hours in collaborative efforts around the country to address the most pressing child safety issues in child custody cases, to create awareness and effect meaningful federal, state, and county level policy change. Sandy holds a master’s degree in Forensic Psychology and a graduate certificate in Child and Adolescent Psychology. For the past eight years, she has been teaching, with a curriculum she has developed to meet a legislative training mandate for supervised visitation monitors. In addition to presenting on university campuses and facilitating divorce groups and other programs within her church, she has been providing public workshops on how to identify dangerous personality traits in the contexts of dating and intimate partner relationships.
Our Founders
Connie Valentine
Co-Founder
Karen Anderson
Co-Founder
Karen Anderson was a domestic violence and sexual assault counselor for nine years in El Dorado County, California. Before that, Karen was a small business owner. She co-founded California Protective Parents Association in 1998 and was the Executive Director for 18 years.