ENCINO : Family Support Unit Open House Planned

Prosecutors picked Father’s Day weekend to hold an open house for their family support operations, which are designed to “turn deadbeat dads into upbeat dads,” officials said.

The Encino office of the support bureau of the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office will be open Saturday morning to provide information about its programs.

“This is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of all the attention being given to fathers,” spokeswoman Carol Mentell said.

The Bureau of Family Support offers a variety of services, including locating absent parents and enforcing child support payments. The office handles 475,000 such cases in its Encino, Lancaster, El Segundo, Commerce, West Covina and Torrance offices.

“Many people don’t know that if they need child support services, we are here,” Mentell said. “And a lot of people don’t realize that we do it free of charge.”

A child-support case can range from 45 days to two years, depending on how willing the absent parent is to cooperate. Most of the cases are brought against absent fathers, with 5% initiated by fathers against an absent mother.

The informational open house on Saturday morning will be held at all six offices, but space is limited. Interested parents can call (213) 889-2976 to make reservations.