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 Minnesota, child support is designed to cover the basic needs of the child, which includes food, clothing, shelter, and education. The state's child support laws are outlined in Minnesota Statutes, specifically in chapters 518A and 518C. These laws provide guidelines for determining the amount of support, which takes into account the income of both parents, the number of children, and the custody arrangement. While the statutes do not list every specific child-rearing expense, they do consider the child's standard of living and the needs of the child, which can encompass expenses such as health care, dental care, and education-related costs. Childcare costs necessary for the custodial parent to work or receive training are often shared, and the noncustodial parent may be required to contribute to these expenses. It is encouraged that parents agree on how to handle additional expenses for things like extracurricular activities, medical costs not covered by insurance, and other unforeseen costs, to avoid conflicts. If parents cannot agree, they may seek a court's intervention to decide on the allocation of these costs.