If you have never been inside the Family Court in downtown Buffalo, consider yourself lucky.

Though some of the most important legal work in the city takes place in that building, it is also the site of some of the most tragic, emotional cases you'll ever hear - families battling over custody of a child, vicious infighting between people who once claimed to be in love, and scenes that too often end with one parent leaving in handcuffs.

During my first trip to Family Court, I had a difficult time getting through the security with my recorder and camera. I explained who I was, informed the officer that I had an appointment and with whom, but to no avail. Eventually, I had to step out of the building, call the person I was interviewing, and he had to come down and escort me up to his office.

As we made our way through the halls, I commented that I never had so much trouble getting past security, even when I went to Supreme Court.

I was told that Family Court is one of the most dangerous places in the system. Couples going through a divorce and fighting over custody and visitation of children - battling in some cases to stay out of jail - are prone to act unpredictably.

 I got a very small taste of it just attempting to clear security, and the public outbursts, profanity and general sense of tension were just as palpable on subsequent visits.

In an effort to shield the children from as much of the unpleasantness as possible, within the building is a child-care center. Parents with matters before the court can drop off their children while they attend to business.

Forget that a child has no interest sitting in a boring courtroom for hours on end. The child-care center serves as a shield. Little Billy doesn't need to see his dad screaming at his mom, cursing and threatening her.

Likewise, seeing a parent forcibly handcuffed and removed from the courtroom can leave a lasting impression on a young child.

So instead, in 1994, centers were opened both in Family Court and in City Court (another colorful place to visit). Between the two locations, the child-care centers served more than 8,000 children in 2010.

Today, thanks to funding cuts coming down from the New York State Unified Court System, the City Court center faces the loss of 100 percent of its funding while Family Court would lose $13,000 in center funding.

For a state billions of dollars in the red, cuts have to be made. I just question if these are the right ones.

Cutting nearly $78,000 from these programs (the City Court center will lose its annual budget of $64,927) is a drop in the bucket for the state, but a waterfall of misery for the families - especially children - who will be hurt by these changes.

If  the idea of causing irreparable harm to small children doesn't sway those in power, there is always the practical side of the issue.

Court is long, it is tedious, and it is supposed to be a place of quiet decorum. Fill those empty seats with antsy, crying children who are bored and see what happens. If you think justice moves slowly now, try adding dozens of children to the courtrooms every day.

Then see what happens when they see mommy screaming at daddy, or daddy being taken away by the big, mean police officers. It has the potential for utter chaos and a breakdown in a system that is already notoriously slow.

Times are tough and I'm all for funding cuts to make things work. But I think we have to be prudent when choosing where to slash and burn. And in this case, any gains to the bottom line for saving less than $80,000 will be miniscule compared to the devastation these cuts will bring to the families, specifically the small children who will be the ultimate losers in the ongoing battle for bucks that has engulfed this state.

Lets hope cooler heads prevail and these centers are allowed to continue the good work that they do.

Matt Chandler: mchandler@bizjournals.com