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 Louisiana (LA), child support is designed to cover the basic needs of the child, which includes food, clothing, and shelter. The state's guidelines for child support also consider additional expenses such as education and healthcare. However, the specifics of what child support payments must cover beyond the essentials can be less clear. Louisiana law does not provide an exhaustive list of child-rearing expenses that must be covered by child support. Typically, the determination of additional expenses such as school supplies, medical care like braces and glasses, transportation, daycare, and extracurricular activities, is addressed during the child support order process or through subsequent modifications. Parents are encouraged to discuss and agree upon the handling of these expenses, either informally or through legal agreements. In cases of dispute, the court may decide how these costs are to be shared. It is advisable for parents to consult with an attorney to understand their rights and obligations regarding child support and the sharing of child-rearing costs in Louisiana.