What Can Be Paid for with Child Support?

Many people believe that child support is only meant to cover a child's basic needs, like food, clothing, and shelter. However, most states, including Illinois, have developed guidelines, allowing child support to be used to provide many different types of benefits for children.

Below, we've included some of the expenses for which child support payments may be used.

Basic Needs

Child support may be used to cover all of a child's basic needs. This not only includes food and shelter, but clothing, Internet, and utilities as well.

Medical Care

Generally, the parent with the better employee benefits will be required to carry medical and dental insurance for a child. However, in cases of extraordinary or uninsured medical expenses, child support may be used to cover the deductibles, co-pays, or other out-of-pocket medical expenses. In such cases, parents often have to split the costs.

Education

School generally isn't free. Even public schools have certain fees that parents must pay. Child support may be used to cover any tuition, fees, or school supplies.

Childcare

If a parent with physical custody is unable to care for the child at all times due to work obligations, child support may be used to pay for a babysitter or day care.

Transportation

Kids often need to be shuttled around from school to extracurricular activities, and back home. All the commuting can add up to considerable travel costs. Child support can be used on car payments, gas, car insurance, or public transportation costs.

Entertainment

Parents can generally use child support to pay for their children's entertainment as well, including movies, trips, games, and Internet access.

Generally, courts don't monitor a parent's use of the child support payments he or she receives. However, in cases where the child's basic needs are not being met, authorities may look into a parent's allocation of child support. If you have any questions about child support, you may want to consult an attorney.

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