Child support is an obligation parents have to their children which is why it is helpful for parents to understand how child support is determined and what expenses are generally intended to be covered by child support. Knowing how and why child support is calculated like it is can help parents who may feel stress associated with their child support obligations or child support enforcement concerns.

Though child support is intended to provide for the basic needs of the child, it is also intended to provide for much more than that. Child support is intended to provide for the basic necessities of the child; the medical care of the child; any educational fees of the child; childcare for the child; transportation and travel-related costs for the child; entertainment for the child; extracurricular activities the child participates in; and college expenses for the child.

Concerning other expenses, such as medical care, parents are typically required to carry some type of medical insurance coverage for the child which usually falls to the parent with an employer-sponsored medical insurance option or better coverage option. Additionally, parents may be liable to medical expenses not covered by medical insurance such as deductibles, co-pays and other expenses. The family law process provides resources to calculate child support amounts but can also help when parents have concerns about child support.

Parents concerned about making required child support payments, as well as parents seeking to enforce child support orders, may be able to seek modifications and other relief from the family law court. It is best to act fast, however, when a parent realizes they need help with their child support concerns and to continue to abide by any valid child support order in the meantime. The family law process provides many resources for parents concerned about child support to help them understand how it is calculated, what it is intended for and how to address any bumps they encounter along the way.