Basic child support in Colorado is intended to cover a child's everyday living expenses, but school supplies, registration fees, and extracurricular activities like sports don't always fall neatly into that category. Here's how Colorado treats these costs.

What Basic Child Support Covers

Colorado's child support guideline, calculated under the Income Shares Model, is designed to cover a child's basic needs: housing, food, clothing, and general day-to-day expenses, proportional to both parents' combined income and parenting time. It does not automatically account for every cost that comes with raising a school-age child.

School Fees and Supplies: Usually a Shared, Case-by-Case Cost

Routine school supplies are generally expected to be covered within basic support. However, larger costs including registration fees, technology fees, or costs tied to a specific school choice can sometimes be treated separately, especially if they weren't anticipated when the original support order was calculated.

Extracurriculars as "Extraordinary Expenses"

Under C.R.S. § 14-10-115(11), Colorado law allows courts to allocate certain costs, including extracurricular activities, private school tuition, and other child-related expenses, separately from the basic support calculation. These are often called "extraordinary expenses," and courts can order them split between parents in proportion to income, similar to basic support, rather than assuming one parent absorbs them.

What If Your Child Support Order Doesn't Address Extracurriculars or School Fees?

Many child support orders, especially older ones, don't specifically address extracurricular or school-related costs. If your children were younger when the order was established, expenses like club sports, instrument rentals, or school trips may not have been anticipated. In these cases, parents can either informally agree on how to split new costs or request a formal modification to include them.

Addressing These Costs Before They Add Up

As kids move through school, these costs tend to grow rather than shrink. Addressing school and extracurricular expenses clearly, whether through your original support order or a later modification, helps prevent recurring disputes each time a new fee or activity comes up. Tolison & Williams can help you review your current order and determine whether it's time to formalize how these costs are shared.