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 New Jersey, child support is designed to cover a child's basic needs, which include food, clothing, shelter, and education. The New Jersey Child Support Guidelines are used to calculate child support payments, and these payments are meant to cover the child's share of expenses in various categories. While the guidelines provide a framework, they do not list every specific expense. Expenses such as health care, dental care, glasses, and extracurricular activities are typically considered to be included in the basic child support amount, but the extent to which child support covers these costs can be a gray area and may require additional agreement between the parents. Childcare costs necessary for the custodial parent to work or attend school or training may be shared by the noncustodial parent, often resulting in the noncustodial parent paying an additional amount to cover part of these costs. Parents are encouraged to discuss and agree upon the handling of extraordinary expenses and include such agreements in their child support order to prevent future conflicts.