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 Massachusetts, child support is governed by state guidelines which consider the income of both parents and the needs of the child. The support is intended to cover the child's basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter, as well as educational costs. While the guidelines do not explicitly list expenses like school supplies, health care, braces, transportation, daycare, and extracurricular activities, these can be considered necessary for the child's well-being and may be factored into the support calculations. Parents are encouraged to discuss and agree upon how to handle these additional expenses, and such agreements can be incorporated into the child support order. Regarding college expenses, Massachusetts is one of the states where courts may order a parent to contribute to post-secondary education costs, depending on factors such as the financial resources of the parents, the cost of the college, and the child's academic pursuits. This can be addressed during divorce proceedings, and parents may also use tools like a 529 plan to save for their child's education.