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, 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.

Because child support obligations generally end when the child turns 18, moves to attend college, dies, or gets married, college expenses are generally not child support obligations. But because college tuition and the associated living expenses are substantial, some parents attempt to address these costs in divorce or other legal proceedings. Depending on the age of the child at the time of divorce and the parents’ financial resources, the funding of a 529 plan (qualified tuition plan) for the child is one option for parents to consider.

In Arkansas, child support is primarily intended to cover the basic needs of the child, such as food, clothing, shelter, and education. The state's child support guidelines provide a framework for calculating support payments based on the non-custodial parent's income and the number of children. However, the guidelines do not explicitly list all specific child-rearing expenses, such as costs for school supplies, health care, braces, dental care, uninsured medical expenses, transportation, daycare, extracurricular activities, and social activities. These additional expenses are often negotiated between parents and may be included in the child support order if agreed upon or deemed necessary by the court. In Arkansas, child support obligations typically end when the child reaches the age of 18, graduates from high school, or becomes self-supporting, whichever occurs last, but not beyond 19 years of age. College expenses are not automatically included in child support obligations in Arkansas, but parents can make arrangements for post-secondary education costs through agreements or by setting up a 529 plan. It is advisable for parents to discuss and agree upon the handling of future significant expenses to minimize conflicts.