I am a step mother of a 13 year old girl, for the last 10 years I have been the only mother that she really knows. Her birth mother is in and out of her life. The last time that they talked was back in December ( x-mas, it's now October) and our daughters b-day was in June, not a phone call just a b-day card. Today we went to the court house to meet with a mediator about the birth parent not paying child support, which is a measly 175 a month. She has not paid my husband child support since May 2008, so her D.L. was suspended. The reason for today was that she was contesting the suspended D.L.. So I guess my question is how can they reinstate her D.L. when she still has not made a payment, or gotten medical coverage (which she has never provided- child support she does pay now and then) like the judge told her to? If you don't do what a judge tells you to do, isn't that considered contempt of court? And does anyone know if me being the step parent, raising the child for the last 10 almost 11 years, the birth mother never seeing the child or helping to support the child ( financially or mentally), can we take her rights away or does she have to agree to it? Thanks