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.

Childcare expenses incurred by the custodial parent are generally not required to be paid by the noncustodial parent in addition to child support—unless the childcare is required for the custodial parent’s work, training, or school—in which case the noncustodial parent may be required to pay for 50% of the childcare, for example.

In Nevada, child support is designed to cover the basic needs of the child, which includes food, clothing, shelter, and education. The state's child support laws are outlined in Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) Chapter 125B. While the statutes provide a formula for calculating child support payments, they do not explicitly list every specific expense that child support is intended to cover. However, the law does recognize that child support may be used for a variety of child-rearing costs, and the courts have discretion to consider additional expenses such as health care, dental care, and extracurricular activities. Childcare expenses necessary for the custodial parent to work, seek training, or attend school can be factored into the child support calculation, and the noncustodial parent may be required to contribute to these costs. It is advisable for parents to discuss and agree upon the handling of anticipated future costs for the child to minimize conflicts. An attorney can provide guidance on how Nevada law may apply to specific circumstances regarding child support and related expenses.