Editorial: Donna’s House fills important new role

Monday, April 8, 2002 | 9:03 a.m.

Family Court Judge Diane Steel and Assistant Court Administrator Christina Chandler have worked steadily over the past year to ensure the opening of Donna's House. This is a house where parents involved in contentious custody cases can exchange their children for visitations without having to fear confrontations. In the past, exchanges often took place in unsupervised locations of the parents' choosing and all involved were at risk of renewed tension. At Donna's House, exchanges are managed in such a way that the parents never see other. Staff members will also oversee court-ordered visitations. Funded through Family Court, participants pay only a nominal fee for the services.

The house is named for Donna Hernandez, whose ex-husband in 1999 murdered her in front of her 3-year-old daughter. The main room of Donna's House displays a large portrait of Hernandez with her daughter. It's a reminder of the tragedy that family disputes can cause. A flash point for tension is during exchanges, and the promise of Donna's House is that such exchanges won't be flaring up and causing more tragedies.