HARTFORD, Conn., Nov 24, 2011 -- A call center that helps Connecticut parents who are waiting for overdue child support payments has extended its hours.

Connecticut Judicial Branch officials say the service previously was operated from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, but is now open until 7 p.m. each Thursday.

The call center helps parents seek overdue child support or check the status of their cases. It can be reached at 1-800-228-5437 (KIDS).

Officials say the extra hours are intended to help working families who cannot call during business hours, especially since those struggling in the recession need their court-ordered child support more than ever.

The call center handles about 8,000 calls monthly and is staffed by bilingual employees. A translation service is available for callers who speak languages other than English and Spanish.

Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Source: http://www.newsday.com