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 Indiana, child support is governed by the Indiana Child Support Rules and Guidelines, which establish the framework for determining the amount of support that non-custodial parents are required to pay. The guidelines take into account the income of both parents, the number of children, and other relevant factors to calculate the support amount. Child support is intended to cover a child's basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. While the guidelines provide a formula for calculating support, they do not explicitly list every specific expense that child support must cover. However, Indiana law does recognize that children have needs beyond the basics, which can include educational expenses, health care, and extracurricular activities. Health care costs, including dental and vision care, are typically shared by the parents in proportion to their incomes. Additionally, the court may order one or both parents to contribute to other child-rearing costs, such as school supplies, daycare, and extracurricular activities, on a case-by-case basis. To avoid conflicts, it is advisable for parents to discuss and agree upon how to handle these additional expenses, possibly including such agreements in their parenting plan or support order.