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 South Dakota, child support is governed by state statutes that establish guidelines to calculate the amount of support based on the income of the parents and the needs of the child. The primary intent of child support is to cover the basic needs of the child, such as food, clothing, shelter, and education. While the law provides a framework for these basic expenses, it does not typically delineate the responsibility for specific costs such as school supplies, health care, braces, dental care, uninsured medical expenses, transportation, daycare, and extracurricular activities. These additional expenses often require parents to communicate and negotiate outside of the statutory guidelines to reach an agreement on how to share these costs. In South Dakota, child support obligations generally end when the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later, but not beyond age 19. College expenses are not typically included in child support obligations in South Dakota. However, parents can make arrangements for post-secondary education costs, such as contributing to a 529 plan, as part of their divorce or custody agreement. It is advisable for parents to discuss and include these potential expenses in their parenting plan or settlement agreement to avoid future conflicts.