With spring on the horizon, many kids are looking for any excuse to get outside and play. Oftentimes, parents are feeling the same way after being cooped up inside over the winter months. You may be wondering how to get your child enrolled in an extracurricular activity to help them learn new skills. However, you may hesitate once looking at the prices associated with sports, camps or other extracurricular activities.
If sharing a child custody arrangement, or are simply the custodial parent receiving a child support allowance, you may be wondering how to offset these type of costs. What you may not know is that extracurricular expenses are often considered in child support payments. This means that if there are newer expenses not currently reflected in the child support calculation, a child support modification may be in order. This could help to equally divide these costs amongst both parent, not only on the primary custodial parent.
Money can be tight, especially for a single parent, child support could mean the difference between a child being able to participate or not in extracurricular activities. Oftentimes, these fees can be hundreds of dollars, if not more, and are not always affordable. If those costs were appropriately split, the child reaps the reward of extracurricular activities that they want and need. The best interests of the child are always at the heart of every child support situation.
There are many ways to nurture a child’s growth and well-being. One thing to do is to get a child enrolled in extracurricular activities that foster social skills, coordination and creativity. These skills can only benefit a child in the short and long term. Understanding how extracurricular expenses can affect a parent’s finances can be an important aspect to calculating child support or seeking a modification.
Source: FindLaw, “What does child support cover?,” Accessed March 21, 2016
