Question: In Florida, who pays for my child’s day care?
Normally, day care expense is a component of the child support calculation.
Stereotypically, the mothers pay the day care, and the father’s child support goes up as a result.
For example, suppose that a mother pays $600 per month for a child’s day care expense. Also suppose that she makes 60% fo the combined income of her and the father.
Under the child support guidelines, she is only responsible for 60% of the cost of the day care. Her percentage of the day care is the same as her percentage of income. She she pays 100% of the day care, the father owes her 40% of the cost of the day care.
The father pays his 40% of day care as an increase to his child support. If the father were paying for the day care, his child support would go down by 60% of the cost of the day care.
It is important to remember that in most cases, when the day care expense ends, the child support amount should be modified to reflect that change.
