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 Louisiana (LA), child support is designed to cover the basic needs of the child, which includes food, clothing, shelter, and education. However, the state's laws do not provide an exhaustive list of specific child-rearing expenses that child support payments must cover. This lack of specificity can lead to disputes between parents regarding the payment for additional costs such as school supplies, healthcare, dental care, transportation, daycare, and extracurricular activities. To mitigate conflicts, it is advisable for parents to discuss and agree upon how to handle these expenses. In Louisiana, child support obligations typically end when the child reaches the age of majority (18 years old), graduates from high school, becomes emancipated, marries, or passes away. College expenses are not typically included in child support obligations, but parents can proactively plan for such costs through mechanisms like a 529 college savings plan. It is important for parents to consider the child's age at the time of divorce and their financial situation when making arrangements for future educational expenses.