Child support is generally intended to help with the costs of raising the child—including food, clothing, shelter, and education—but laws vary from state to state and are often unclear on the extent to which child support payments are intended to help the custodial parent pay for half of school supplies, health care, braces, glasses, dental care, uninsured medical care, transportation (car), daycare, sports camps, cheerleading camps, school trips, social activities, and extracurricular activities.

Most state laws (statutes) don’t identify the specific child-rearing costs to which the custodial parent is required to contribute payment from child support and other resources—and because these issues are frequently the source of parental conflict, parents should identify all expected future costs and agree to the process for sharing them.

Childcare expenses incurred by the custodial parent are generally not required to be paid by the noncustodial parent in addition to child support—unless the childcare is required for the custodial parent’s work, training, or school—in which case the noncustodial parent may be required to pay for 50% of the childcare, for example.

In Massachusetts, child support is governed by state statutes that provide guidelines for determining the amount of support a noncustodial parent should pay. These guidelines take into account the income of both parents and the needs of the child, including basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter. While the guidelines do not list every specific child-rearing expense, they are designed to cover a broad range of the child's needs, which may implicitly include costs like school supplies, healthcare, and extracurricular activities. However, for expenses that are not clearly covered by the regular child support payments, such as uninsured medical costs, extraordinary educational expenses, and substantial extracurricular activities, the court may order additional support or allocate these expenses between the parents. Childcare costs necessary for the custodial parent to work, seek work, or obtain training for work are typically considered in the child support calculation, and the noncustodial parent may be required to contribute to these costs. To avoid conflicts, it is advisable for parents to discuss and agree upon how to handle these additional expenses and include such agreements in their parenting plan or seek a court order that addresses these issues.