In general, child support payments go towards a child’s needs. This includes basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter.
In addition to basic needs, child support may also cover expenses such as:
- Medical services
- Childcare
- Entertainment
- Transportation; and
- Education
However, every situation is different and certain expenses may or may not apply in your case. To learn more about what child support covers, let’s read on.
Child Support Expenses
With the increasing costs of education and healthcare, raising a child can certainly become expensive. Ranging from basic needs to extracurricular activities for a child, here is what child support covers.
Basic Needs
These expenses commonly include basic survival needs including food, clothing and shelter. Child support may cover the cost to purchase groceries, snacks and other food items for the child or children.
In addition, child support money may also be applied toward living expenses such as rent, mortgage and utility expenses where the child lives.
Most importantly, basic needs expenses should provide the child with a comfortable place to live that is safe, while being provided proper clothing and food.
Healthcare
Usually some form of health insurance is required for a child with separated or divorced parents. Depending on which parent has better benefits may require a medical insurance plan that also covers the child.
Uninsured Medical Expenses
In addition to basic medical care, child support can also be used to cover medical expenses that are not insured. This includes any sort of costs that are out of pocket and not covered by insurance. Examples of out of pocket costs are deductibles, co-pays or surgery.
If a child has had a preexisting medical condition, the costs to cover their additional health care needs may also be included in the child support obligations.
Educational Costs
This includes any fees associated with school and school supplies. Even if children are enrolled in public school, child support may be needed to cover the expenses for lunch, uniforms, textbooks, field trips, etc. if any.
If children are attending private school, then expenses will certainly need to be covered by child support.
Childcare
Very often, both parents work during the day. This leaves parents unable to look after their young children at times.
This means that a child needs to attend daycare or have a babysitter. Child support may cover these costs needed for childcare.
Transportation and Travel Expenses
Child support may also cover the essential costs associated with transportation including gas, vehicle registration, car insurance or bus fare.
In addition, if a child is visiting a parent who lives elsewhere and needs to pay to travel, child support may be used to pay for this expense.
Extracurricular Activities
If children participate in sports activities or summer camps that cost money, child support costs are included for these. In addition to sports and camps, extracurricular activities may include other after school programs or classes, as well as actives non-related to school.
What Does Child Support Cover: Things to Consider
In Texas, there are child support guidelines that help determine how much support a parent has to pay. There are a number of factors that determine how child support is calculated, but here are the basics that a judge looks at:
- The income of the paying parent
- Financial needs of the child
- And where possible, how much child support is required to keep the child’s standard of living the same
It’s important to note that parents who receive child support are not required to provide proof of which specific activities that money is going towards. However, in the event that the basic needs of the child are not being met, then the receiving parent will need to reveal this information.
It is assumed that the parent who has custody of the child is already paying for the expenses of raising the child. This is why spending is not monitored by the court.
Now, if there is a change in circumstances for either parent or the child, then a modification of the child custody order may be necessary. A significant change might include losing a job, or getting a significant raise.
Need Help Determining What Child Support Covers for Your Children?
To ensure that you are well protected and enter into a fair agreement with the other parent, first consulting with an experienced child support lawyer will help.
At our family law firm, we represent parents who are ordered to pay child support as well as parents who expect to receive support. So if you are unsure what child support covers in your case, please contact us. We would be glad to assist and put your mind at ease.