In the Name of the Children

Michele was only 5 when Daphna Edwards first laid eyes on her at a homeless shelter in Santa Monica.

Edwards, who founded the punk rock label Unicorn Records, had come to the shelter to organize a choir for a Thanksgiving Day benefit when she noticed children throwing stones at the little girl because she hadn’t been toilet trained. Edwards received permission to take the girl home, clean her up and dress her in new clothes.

On ensuing weekends, the Beverly Hills woman would return to the shelter to spend time with Michele, but noticed that the little girl was black-and-blue from injuries received from her drug-addicted biological mother.

Five years have passed and today Michele, who is 10, has been legally adopted by Edwards and her husband, real estate businessman Richard Ziman. The Zimans also have a 4-year-old daughter who was adopted through traditional channels and was not abused.

Now, as part of her crusade on behalf of abused and neglected children, Edwards has written, directed and co-produced a movie called “Footsteps,” a romantic thriller that calls attention to the plight of these children--and the ramifications for society.

The film was screened earlier this summer at a “Love Our Children” benefit held at the Directors Guild of America. It was introduced by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has become a vocal supporter of Edwards’ cause.

The film is being entered at film festivals in Toronto, Venice and New York and, Edwards said, the White House also plans to screen the film for President and Mrs. Clinton and members of Congress, when their schedules allow.

“Footsteps” tells the story of a TV journalist who, while investigating a high-profile murder, uncovers a complicated case of child abuse.

The film, co-produced by Ami Artzi, stars Karina Lombard, who appeared in “Legends of the Fall” with Brad Pitt and had a memorable scene with Tom Cruise on the beach in “The Firm”; Maria Conchita Alonso, whom independent filmmakers nominated for best actress in “Caught”; Damian Chapa, who portrayed Lyle Menendez in “Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills,” and comedian Sandra Bernhard.

The production cost $1.5 million, but was helped by four dozen sponsors ranging from Kodak, which donated the film, to Revlon (makeup) and even such fashion houses as Christian Dior and Valentino (costumes). “We didn’t have to pay one dime for the entire wardrobe,” Edwards said.

Edwards also received support from her friends in the music business. The soundtrack features five songs from Dead Can Dance, two from Martika and others from Amelia Spicer, Alonso and Lombard.

During filming, Edwards recalled, various cast and crew members would approach her and mention that they, too, had experienced abuse while growing up. “It was a very difficult movie to make because of the hurt and anguish,” she said.

But it is Edwards’ own story that bears telling.

After seeing that Michele had been abused, Edwards went to the Edelman Children’s Court in Monterey Park in hopes of getting Michele’s mother into drug rehab so that she could look after Michele properly.

“At that point, I thought there was hope, if she just got cleaned up,” Edwards said. “I thought perhaps if her mother stopped doing drugs, she and Michele could have a better life together. At the same time, I was trying to get her into job training.”

Edwards quickly discovered, however, that non-parents have no rights in children’s court. “The judge wouldn’t even listen to me,” she said.

As the injuries to Michele continued, Edwards took the child to a hospital to treat her wounds. “I refused to take her back to the shelter,” Edwards said.

Instead, she took Michele directly to the court again, but was dumbfounded when the judge said he wanted Michele’s mother to return to therapy and parenting classes and reunite with her daughter. Edwards jumped up and yelled, “Over my dead body!”

“They were going to charge me with contempt of court and all sorts of things,” Edwards recalled. Edwards reluctantly returned the girl to the shelter, but on Halloween 1994, Michele was nearly choked to death by her mother and was taken to a hospital.

Social workers then delivered Michele to Edwards, who agreed to become the girl’s foster parent. But six months later, the court said there would be a hearing to determine the parental rights of the birth mother. The judge wanted Michele to stay weekends with her biological mother, but the girl broke down in court and, for the first time, talked about the abuse she had suffered.

Edwards discovered that the way the law is now written, biological parents have reunification rights with their children even if there is a history of abuse.

“At that point, I took her with me, went to Washington and parked myself on [Sen.] Teddy Kennedy’s steps,” Edwards said. “That’s when the battle started.”

Edwards met with lawmakers, lobbying for changes in the Family Preservation Act.

“The Family Preservation Act was installed by [then-President] Reagan during the time when he believed--naively but sweetly--it’s all about keeping the American family together,” Edwards said. “However, part of that law includes a reunification clause, which allows biological parents to be reunited with their own abused children, even if they were severely and permanently abused. . . . We have not been able to change it for a long, long time.”

Edwards explained that these children are either returned to their abusive parents or are passed around from one foster home to the next. As the years pass, she added, many of them wind up committing crimes.

Edwards wants Congress to add one line to the law that would permit biological parents to reunite with their children “as long as it’s in the best interests of the child.”

In the end, Michele’s biological mother voluntarily gave up parental rights to her daughter, Edwards said.

“Initially, I tried to help her and get her into drug clinics,” Edwards said. “Unfortunately, the mother was born in a homeless mission. In the final court hearing, she said, ‘Why didn’t I have someone help me when I was a little girl?’ I’m in communication with her. They found out she is a manic-depressive. I helped her get into [low-income] housing. She’s lost four children to the system.” *