Should stepmom have to babysit for biomom

TO MAKE THE STORY SHORT. MY HUSBAND HAS JOINT CUSTODY OF 8 YRS OLD SON - PAYS 50% CHILDCARE COST FOR THEM TO WORK - EACH HAS SON EVERY OTHER WEEK - BIO MOM PRIORTY IS WORK, STAYING LATE, DINNER MEETING, TRAVELING OVERNIGHT AND OF COURSE WEEKENDS OUT ON THE TOWN - STEPMOM END UP WATCHING HER SON EVEN ON BIO MOM'S CUSTODY WEEK. WHAT IS BY LAW, CHILDCARE PROVIDED FOR ONE PARENT TO WORK? IS IT 40 HOURS A WEEK ONLY? WHAT IS THE LIMITATION? WHAT ABOUT THE CONSTANT CHANGING OF HER SHEDULING AROUND HER OWN TIME AND NOT OURS?

If the time-sharing is no longer even (50-50), then the parent keeping the child more often would have grounds to ask for child support.

[usmcfamily]

What action is it you are hoping to take? That will help us better direct our responses to you. In the mean time let me offer this information to you for your consideration - YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING!.....don't get me wrong, I think it is great that you and your husband are so willing to have the extra time with the child and I am sure that it is only strengthening the relationship the three of you share, but you are NOT required to work for her! She has the legal right to her child for the set times from the original decree - if she is unable to care for the child herself during "her" time it is up to HER to make other arrangements! If you are so unhappy with the arrangement there are two things you could do .....
1) Stop being her doormat....my hunch is that a couple weeks of not having "beck-and-call" childcare available from you would wake her up to the real responsibility of parenting and she would simply have to find a different solution whether she rearranged her working schedule to fit her visitation schedule or she were to find other childcare for those times she has the child and chooses to work. While I again really appreciate what you are trying to do for the child you are in fact only enabling her to continue.
2) back to court you go to modify the original order to better fit everyones lifestyle - meaning legally increasing the time the child spends with you (he already spends it there, it might as well be legal) and changing her custody/visitation schedule to better accomodate her job (gotta love some peoples priorities)....this way you are not "babysitting"...you are spending time as the family you are!
Has this been addressed to her in a "family meeting" forum w/you and your husband? It is obviously not good for the child to be bounced around so much and perhaps she could be persuaded to do the right thing as a mother and re-prioritize her life or agree to the modification....it's worth a shot. Might also be a good idea to use family court mediators to reach a more agreeable arrangment for you all.
Prayers be with you and your family

[MySonsMom]

Are you wondering if you should get paid or have to pay less for daycare if you watch the child? I think that is up to you. Heck, I am a custodial Step-Mom of a now 10 yr old boy, and when the child was 7 we asked the bio mom to watch step son for a couple hours in the morning for a few months (I had a temporary thing going on in the mornings that I was unable to be home with step son) She did it for us, but we had to pay her $55/week for the 10 hours of so called "daycare" that she provided for HER OWN CHILD. There's just a little inkling on (if any of you are following my story) how and why I am in the middle of adopting my step son. Good luck to you..it sounds like your bm (bio mom) has priorities set that the child obviously isn't high on.