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 Virginia, child support is designed to cover the basic needs of the child, which includes food, clothing, shelter, and education. The Virginia Code provides guidelines for determining the amount of child support, which takes into account the income of both parents and the needs of the child. However, the law does not typically specify the extent to which child support payments must cover additional expenses such as school supplies, health care, braces, glasses, dental care, uninsured medical care, transportation, daycare, and extracurricular activities. These costs are often addressed on a case-by-case basis, and parents are encouraged to come to an agreement on how to handle these expenses. If the custodial parent incurs childcare expenses that are necessary for work, training, or school, the noncustodial parent may be required to contribute to these costs, potentially up to 50%. It is important for parents to discuss and outline the handling of these expenses in their child support agreement or seek modification of the child support order to specifically address these issues. An attorney can provide guidance on how to best approach these matters within the framework of Virginia's child support laws.