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 Vermont, child support is governed by state statutes that establish guidelines to calculate the financial support owed by the non-custodial parent. The purpose of child support is to cover the basic needs of the child, such as food, clothing, shelter, and education. Vermont law recognizes that children should be entitled to share in the standard of living of both parents. While the statutes provide a framework for the basic support obligation, they may not explicitly list every specific expense related to raising a child. Expenses such as school supplies, health care, orthodontic treatments, glasses, dental care, transportation, daycare, and extracurricular activities can be a source of dispute. Parents are encouraged to discuss and agree upon how to handle these additional expenses, either on their own or with the assistance of an attorney or mediator. If parents cannot agree, the court may decide based on what it deems to be in the best interest of the child. It is important for parents to keep in mind that the primary goal of child support is to ensure that the child's needs are met adequately.