1. How Child Support Works
An analogy

2. Think of the custodial parent’s
finances as a swimming pool.

3. Every month, the custodial parent pays
for all expenses out of the pool.
• Rent or mortgage
• Electricity
• Phone bill
• Clothing
• School supplies
• Activity expenses
• Medical and Dental co-pays

4. The custodial parent also pays for his
or her own expenses out of the pool…
just like you do, with your expenses.
• Clothing
• Food
• Transportation
• Work-related expenses
• Health insurance
• Cable and Internet

5. Because the custodial parent has spent
all of his or her money on their
expenses, the pool is getting empty.

6. When you pay child support, you are
helping the custodial parent fill their
pool back up.
• The pool is filled by the custodial parents income
as well as the child support you pay.
• All of the money is “pooled” together, so there is
no differentiation between the money the parent
earns and the money received from child
support.
• Because the pool is empty from the parent paying
expenses, child support is REPAYING the parent
for money already spent on the child.

7. If the needs of the child are met, the
custodial parent is not misusing the
support you pay. Ask yourself this:
• Does my child have a roof over his head?
• Does my child have food?
• Does my child have clothing?
• Does my child have electricity?
• Does my child have heat and hot water?
If the answer to these questions is
YES, then child support is not being
misused.

8. After the child’s needs are met, the
parent is welcome to use the money in
the pool for anything, just as you are
with your own pool.