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 Wisconsin, child support is designed to cover the basic needs of the child, which includes food, clothing, shelter, and education. However, the specifics of what child support payments should cover beyond these basics are not always clearly defined in the statutes. Wisconsin law does not provide an exhaustive list of child-rearing expenses that must be covered by child support, such as costs for school supplies, health care, dental care, transportation, daycare, and extracurricular activities. These are often areas of dispute between parents, and it is advisable for parents to discuss and agree upon how to handle these expenses. Child support in Wisconsin typically ends when the child reaches the age of 18, graduates from high school, or is otherwise emancipated, but it may continue if the child is still in high school and not yet 19. College expenses are not typically included in child support obligations in Wisconsin, but parents can make arrangements for college costs, such as contributing to a 529 plan, during divorce or legal proceedings. It's important for parents to address these issues proactively to avoid future conflicts.