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 Wisconsin, child support is designed to cover the basic needs of the child, which includes food, clothing, shelter, and education. The state's child support guidelines aim to ensure that children receive a fair amount of support from their noncustodial parent, reflecting what the child would have received if the family remained intact. Wisconsin statutes do not provide an exhaustive list of specific child-rearing expenses that must be covered by child support payments. However, the courts have the discretion to consider additional expenses such as health care, dental care, and childcare when these are reasonably necessary. Childcare costs necessary for the custodial parent to work, undergo training, or attend school can be included in the child support order, and the noncustodial parent may be required to pay a portion of these costs, often up to 50%. Parents are encouraged to communicate and agree on how to handle the sharing of extraordinary expenses for the child, such as extracurricular activities and medical costs not covered by insurance, to avoid conflicts. If parents cannot agree, they may seek a court's intervention to address these issues.