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 New York, child support is designed to cover a child's basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and education. The New York Child Support Standards Act provides a formula for calculating child support payments based on the parents' combined income and the number of children. While the law does not explicitly list every expense child support must cover, it is generally understood to include reasonable expenses for the child's health care, education, and welfare. Expenses such as school supplies, medical care, extracurricular activities, and transportation are often considered part of the child's upbringing and may be covered by child support payments. However, the specifics can vary and may need to be addressed in the child support order or through additional agreements between the parents. Regarding college expenses, New York is one of the few states where a court may order a non-custodial parent to contribute to a child's college education costs, which can extend beyond the age of 21. Parents can also voluntarily set up a 529 plan or other savings plan to prepare for such future expenses. It is advisable for parents to clearly outline the handling of anticipated child-rearing costs in their support agreement to prevent future conflicts.