Termination of parental rights

My friend's daughter receives medicaid in New Mexico. They recently told her they'll be pursuing the father of her daughter for child support. She wants to terminate his rights in order for her fiance to adopt the little girl when they get married. Her grounds for termination are abandonment, he's not seen his daughter in nearly 3 years, not talked to her for 2, never paid anything to her & she had a restraining order put on him which expired this October. She's worried if he has to pay child support, he'll want custody and/or once he pays, she'll lose her grounds for termination. Her daughter only knows her fiance as her dad & to her, making him her legal father is her #1 priority. However, from what I understand termination of parental rights is extremely difficult in the first place & since she's getting state aid, it seems to be pretty impossible as the state wants the money. I'm trying to help her, but I'm not finding clear answers (well, she's not really happy with the answers I'm finding). Any help is appreciated  

Well, I'm not sure of the legalities of it, but my ex-stepfather never paid a dime on my sister. Exact same situation as your friend, actually. He ended up jailed for a bit and that's when my mom fought to terminate his rights. She won. So, it's definitely possible.

Is there any way she can prove that he's violent or ill-fit as a parent?

Quoting Princess Celestia:" Well, I'm not sure of the legalities of it, but my ex-stepfather never paid a dime on my sister. Exact ... [snip!] ... his rights. She won. So, it's definitely possible. Is there any way she can prove that he's violent or ill-fit as a parent?"

I'm glad there's hope for her, she's pretty distraught. She has the restraining order, which was for her & the daughter, over domestic violence. How he's been does follow her states definition of abandonment, which is to have made little to no contact in a year or more, have paid nothing to support the child in a year or more and disinterest of the child.

my mom actually did this with me. i had medicaid also when i was young. she knew who my father was, but he wasn't interested in me at all and denied me. saw me one time when i was a newborn and that was it. to terminate parental rights, i think she didn't put him on my birth certificate and then, just in case, she adopted me out to my grandparents so they had full legal custody of me. she met my dad (not sperm donor) and he was who i knew as my dad... my whole life. when they got married, they both adopted me back.

Is he on the birth certificate?

Yes, he's on the birth certificate. She said he'll sign over rights to avoid child support. So now she's less worried about terminating his rights but is worried a step parent adoption won't get approved since she's on medicaid & was on welfare recently.