What is child support?

  • Child support is money paid by a parent to pay for a child’s needs.  Child support covers general expenses as well as child care, health care, and other expenses.  The parent may be ordered to pay for the child’s health insurance if it is affordable. 

Who gets child support?

  • The parent or person who lives with the child more than half of the time can get child support from the other parent.
  • If the child lives with each parent equally, there could still be a child support order. It would provide for health care expenses and day care, and support to the parent with the lower income.
  • Even if the parent who does not live with the child is a teenager, he/she will have to pay child support.
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Last Reviewed: January 20, 2022