Macomb County prosecutor's paternity division ramps up uniting families for holidays

FOX 2 - With Christmas just days away, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office is trying to unity as many families as possible through its paternity and child support division.

"We serve almost 4,000 cases a year," said Prosecutor Eric Smith.

The goal is simple 

"The real reason we do this is try and get support for these single mothers and support for the children," Smith said. "We have four investigators out there, every day, all day, serving perspective fathers to get them come down here and either acknowledge that they are the father or establish paternity through the DNA testing."

A DNA sample is taken from the perspective father, the mother and the child. Fingerprints are also taken

"Often times it comes as a shock to certain perspective fathers but often times it doesn't - and they welcome it," he said.

Overall, the paternity and child support division has had a phenomenal success rate.

"We just got an award from the state," Smith said. "We have over a 96 percent compliance. When a mother files with us, within two or three months, we have that case completely closed with the establishment of paternity, and support, and the father gets access to the child."

"Our guys are busy all the time but in these times around Christmas, we really ramp it up. Studies have shown that kids that are raised with both parents involved and a healthy support system are much more successful in life."