Do Childcare and Health Insurance Costs Raise Child Support?

Use the free tool — Child Support Estimate FL

The short answer

Yes. Florida's child support guideline adds childcare costs and health-insurance costs on top of the basic obligation. They don't replace the basic number — they get added to it as part of the same calculation.

Where they fit in the formula

Florida Statutes §61.30 builds the guideline in steps. Childcare and health insurance come in after the basic obligation is set:

Both parents' net incomes are figured first.
Income shares split the basic obligation between the parents.
The basic obligation itself comes from the statutory schedule.
A time-sharing adjustment applies if a parent has 20% or more of the overnights.
Childcare costs and health-insurance costs are then added, along with who is actually paying them.

Child Support Estimate FL asks for both costs and who pays them, then walks through this arithmetic step by step so you can see where the add-ons land in the final monthly figure.

What else can move the number

The guideline amount isn't always the final word. Courts have room to deviate:

Up to 5% either way, without needing to explain why.
More than 5%, if the court makes written findings.
Imputed income can also come into play, changing one parent's income figure before the formula even runs.

If you already have an order

Florida uses a 15%-or-$50 rule for changing an existing child support order — meaning the new guideline amount generally has to differ from the old one by at least 15% or $50, whichever is less, before a change is considered. The tool shows you this rule as part of the guideline math. It does not file anything and does not tell you whether your situation qualifies.

What's unknown or approximate

The basic-obligation schedule used by this tool is interpolated from anchor rows and is approximate. The court uses the exact statutory table. Net income depends on your actual tax withholding and allowable deductions, which only you and your paperwork know. This is not legal advice, and the tool is not affiliated with any court, the Department of Revenue, or any law firm.

What to do next

The free tool reads the numbers you type — both incomes, number of children, overnights per parent, and your actual childcare and health-insurance costs — and computes the guideline step by step, including these add-ons. For your specific case, confirm with the Florida DOR Child Support Program at floridarevenue.com/childsupport or with legal aid at floridalawhelp.org.

Use the free tool

Child Support Estimate FL is an informational calculator based on Florida Statutes 61.30 and the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.902(e) as of 2025–26. The basic-obligation schedule is interpolated from anchor rows and is approximate; the statutory table controls. Net income depends on actual tax withholding and allowable deductions. It is not legal advice and does not file anything. It is not affiliated with any court, the Department of Revenue or any law firm.