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 Vermont, child support is designed to cover the basic needs of the child, which includes food, clothing, shelter, and education. The specific details of what child support payments must cover are not exhaustively listed in the statutes, which can lead to disputes between parents. Vermont law does provide guidelines for child support calculations that take into account the income of both parents and the needs of the child. Extraordinary expenses, such as health care costs (including braces, glasses, and dental care), uninsured medical expenses, and childcare necessary for the custodial parent's work or education, may be shared by the parents in a manner determined by the court. The court has the discretion to order the noncustodial parent to contribute to these additional expenses, which can sometimes include costs related to extracurricular activities, educational trips, and other similar costs. Parents are encouraged to come to an agreement on how to handle these expenses and may use mediation or other dispute resolution methods to assist with this process. It is important for parents to document and communicate about these expenses to avoid conflict and ensure that the child's needs are met.