Preventing Child Abuse, including sexual abuse and children’s deaths, in Foster Care/Child Protective Services and Family Courts
Patricia Mitchell was recently invited by several Congressional Committees to speak to their members, on the corruption occurring in both Child Protective Services and Family Courts. (see dates and names in prelude of Articles) Including Committees in the House of Representatives and The Private Governor's Tasks Force on Child Abuse and Neglect.
'Patricia’s Children INC.' Founded in 2017 by Patricia Mitchell, after she became an unlikely victim of the Family Custody Courts. Her estranged younger sister and estranged mother, used her baby as a weapon against Patricia. This was not an act of concern, nor did they seek custody of her child. There were no allegations of neglect, abuse or drugs. Patricia had little to no contact with either women since she left home at 17 years old. Patricia achieved success against great odds, attending prestigious schools, including Kings College in the UK, and experiencing a decade of success in NYC. During a regretful rare visit to her estranged family's resident and at a vulnerable period in Patricia's life, both women used the court system with malicious intent towards Patricia. Patricia’s younger sister had just received an authoritative position with CPS as a Family/First agent, abusing her authority for a personal vendetta. (A small rural town in Michigan, where Patricia had never lived) In a Court Hearing, Patricia's estranged mother said in her own words; "Patti can't have a baby, she lives in NYC she is a fashion model, and lives all over the world, she doesn't get to have a baby too." As these women fished for ways to separate Patricia from her baby, their unsubstantial murky allegations, continued to be proven false. Their sadistic cruelty was relentless, to the point where the local prosecutor noticed and Filed an appearance to Represent Patricia as the Fit parent to receive full custody of her child. Patricia's younger sister Carolyn Spencer was so enraged, she and the mother hired an attorney to place Patricia's baby permanently into foster care, Deliberating against the local prosecutor. On the last day of a 5 day trial Patricia was winning by a landslide; infuriated Carolyn's attorney Filed a motion to place a Hold on the custody proceedings. Both women refused Patricia's Court Ordered visitations during and after this period, which created confrontations. Patricia's estranged parents took her baby out of state for 4 months, they were in Contempt of Court, but the courts refused to recognize this Contempt. When Patricia's baby returned she was unrecognizable, in 4 months time her baby girl LOSS 5 lbs, was covered with inflamed untreated bug bites, had dark circles under her eyes, no longer had self confidence, and was filled with fear. During this supervised visitation, Patricia attempted to take a photograph of her baby in this condition, but the Family First agent took Patricia's camera away from her. Patricia went into shock, vomiting, her body began to shake by its own accord, her teeth shattered like being in a blizzard. Fearing for her child's life, Patricia left that county to get help from her friends in NYC. Without notifying Patricia, they held a terminational trial claiming "Abandonment." Patricia never saw her beloved child again.
"The opinions expressed herein are those of our guest authors in the 'Tell us Your Story' section do not necessarily reflect the views of Patricia's Children Inc. or it Board members"
In 1998, Patricia's sister and mother used her six-month-old daughter as a weapon against her. Patricia had little to no contact with either woman since leaving home at 17. Going on to achieve success against great odds, attending elite schools in the U.S. and the U.K., followed by more than a decade of professional success in NYC.
During a regretful visit to Patricia’s estranged "family" her sister has just been hired in an authoritative position within Child Protective Services (as a “Family First” agent) in a small, rural Michigan town in which Patricia had never lived. At this particular vulnerable time in her life, Patricia’s sister & own mother succeeded in legally placing Patricia’s daughter into the custody of the child’s father (a man Patricia had left before the child was born, after discovering he was a fraudulent substance abuser, with an extensive and violent criminal record in three states, the father followed her to Michigan without her consent). When he arrived in Michigan, the child’s father lived in a run-down school bus, on the same property as a twice-convicted sex offender, who lived yards away from the bus in a trailer. Even after this debacle situation made the cover of their local newspaper, Child Protective Services refused to remove Patricia’s daughter/baby from that bus/life threatening environment. (because of Patricia's sisters authoritative influence as a Family First case worker, insisting the child should live in the bus with the father). In an unprecedented move, the local assistant prosecutor filed for an appearance at Patricia’s reverse custody trial, where she re-secured custody of her child – until the last day of that trial, when Patricia’s vindictive sister hired an attorney to intervene, with the intent of placing Patricia’s child into permanent state custody.
A series of corrupt acts went ignored, including a refusal to honor Patricia’s court-ordered visitations for more than 5 months (without the court system holding the sister and child’s father in Contempt) and an “accidental” taping over of all transcripts from the five-day reverse custody trial. And the undeniable physical mental & emotional regression of her child, Patricia needed to get outside help. While Patricia briefly returned to NYC to seek practical support from her East Coast friends, a termination of parental rights trial had begun (without notifying her), on the grounds of Abandonment.
Patricia never saw her daughter again. She has created 'Patricia's Children INC' as a dedication to her beloved daughter and a resource for parents and children who have found themselves in similar straits.