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 Idaho, child support is designed to cover the basic needs of the child, which includes food, clothing, shelter, and education. The Idaho Child Support Guidelines provide a framework for determining the amount of support, which is based on the income of both parents and the needs of the child. While the guidelines do not explicitly list every expense, they are intended to cover a broad range of the child's needs. Expenses such as school supplies, health care, dental care, transportation, daycare, and extracurricular activities are typically expected to be covered by child support payments, but the specifics can vary and may need to be addressed in the child support order. Parents are encouraged to discuss and agree upon how to handle additional expenses that are not explicitly covered by child support. In Idaho, child support obligations generally end when the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later, but not beyond 19 years of age. College expenses are not typically included in child support obligations in Idaho, but parents can make arrangements for post-secondary education costs, such as setting up a 529 plan, during divorce or legal proceedings.