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, glasses, 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.

In Alabama, child support is governed by state statutes and guidelines that are designed to cover the basic needs of the child, which include food, clothing, and shelter. The Alabama Child Support Guidelines are used to calculate the amount of support, taking into account the income of both parents and the number of children. While the guidelines provide a framework for determining child support, they do not explicitly list every expense related to raising a child. Costs such as health care, education, and extracurricular activities are often addressed on a case-by-case basis. Uninsured medical expenses are typically shared by the parents in proportion to their incomes. The custodial parent is not specifically required by law to account for how child support payments are used. Due to the potential for disputes over additional expenses, it is advisable for parents to discuss and agree upon how to handle these costs, possibly including such agreements in their child support order or parenting plan. An attorney can provide guidance on how to best address these issues within the legal framework of Alabama's child support laws.