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Kentucky child support: the statutory table and the shared parenting time credit

Kentucky reads support from a table written into KRS 403.212 using both parents' gross income. Since July 15, 2024, a parent who has the children at least 88 days a year can ask the court for a shared parenting time credit, set by a chart in KRS 403.2122.

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At a glance

ModelIncome shares on combined monthly adjusted parental gross income (KRS 403.212)
TableIn the statute itself, KRS 403.212(9), in $100 rows up to $30,000 combined a month; judicial discretion above that
Shared parenting creditAt least 88 days a year with the paying parent: 15% to 50% of the table amount, on motion
Low incomeSelf-support reserve of $915 a month; minimum order $60 a month
Support endsAge 18, or while in high school but not past the school year in which the child turns 19
ModificationA 15% change in the guideline amount is presumed a material change
AgencyDepartment of Child Support Services, Office of the Attorney General (since July 1, 2025)

How Kentucky calculates child support

Kentucky starts from gross income from almost any source: wages, bonuses, commissions, Social Security, unemployment, workers' compensation, gifts, prizes and maintenance received. Means-tested benefits such as cash assistance and food stamps are excluded. For the self-employed, gross income is receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses, and only straight-line depreciation is allowed.

Each parent's income is then reduced by maintenance actually paid to a prior spouse (and any maintenance ordered in the same case), support actually paid for prior-born children, and an imputed amount for prior-born children living in the parent's home. The two adjusted figures are added, and the total is looked up in the table in KRS 403.212(9) for the number of children the parents have together.

The table amount is divided between the parents in proportion to income, and work-related child care and the children's health insurance are added the same way on the Attorney General's worksheet, form CS-71. A court can deviate from the result only with a written or on-the-record finding that the guideline would be unjust or inappropriate, for reasons such as a child's extraordinary medical or educational needs or combined income above the table.

Worked example: Kentucky

  1. Parent A earns $5,200 a month in gross income and Parent B earns $3,300. Neither pays maintenance or support for other children, so combined adjusted parental gross income is $8,500.
  2. The $8,500 row of the table in KRS 403.212(9) shows $1,444 for two children. At the top row, $30,000, the table shows $2,730 for two children.
  3. Parent A has 61.2% of the combined income and Parent B has 38.8%, so Parent A's share of the table amount is $883 and Parent B's is $561.
  4. If the children live with Parent B and Parent A has fewer than 88 days, Parent A pays $883 a month, or $10,596 a year, before child care and health insurance are added.

This is an estimate, not legal advice. Figures are rounded to the dollar and leave out the insurance, childcare, and other adjustments your case may have. Try your own numbers in CoreParent's calculator, then confirm with the state's official calculator.

The shared parenting time credit: days, not overnights

Kentucky counts days. A day is more than 12 consecutive hours in a 24-hour period in one parent's care, and parenting time starts at the exchange; when the exchange happens at school or child care, the receiving parent's time starts at pickup. The time must be court-ordered or exercised by agreement, and the parent seeking the credit has to ask for it by motion.

The chart in KRS 403.2122(4) sets the credit as a percentage of the table amount: 15% for 88 to 115 days, 20.5% for 116 to 129, 25% for 130 to 142, 30.5% for 143 to 152, 36% for 153 to 162, 42% for 163 to 172, 48.5% for 173 to 181, and 50% at 182 to 182.5. The credit is subtracted from the paying parent's share. In the example, with 120 days for Parent A (20.5%), the credit is $296 and Parent A pays about $587 a month instead of $883.

With exactly equal time, the parent with the higher gross income is treated as the payer and gets the 50% credit, which leaves Parent A paying about $161 a month. The court keeps discretion over the credit when the parent receiving support gets KCHIP, KTAP, SNAP or Medicaid, and it can weigh factors such as whether the schedule is actually followed. A 15% change in the number of timesharing days lets a parent ask to revisit it.

Child care, health insurance and the first $250 of medical bills

Reasonable and necessary child care costs caused by work, a job search, or education leading to work are split by income on top of the table amount. When health coverage is reasonable in cost (no more than 5% of the parent's gross income) and accessible (providers within 60 minutes or 60 miles), the court orders a parent to provide it and splits the premium by income. The parent who carries the insurance covers the first $250 of medical expenses each calendar year; uninsured costs above that, including dental, orthodontic, vision and counseling for diagnosed disorders, are divided by income.

Low income: the $915 reserve and the $60 floor

Kentucky's self-support reserve is $915 a month. It applies when the paying parent's adjusted gross income is at or below $1,100 with one child, $1,300 with two, $1,400 with three, $1,500 with four or five, or $1,600 with six or more. In that case the table is read using the paying parent's income alone, and the parent pays the lowest of that amount, the regular income-shares amount, or the shared parenting result; the reserve and the shared parenting credit are never applied together.

The minimum order is $60 a month, which is also every cell of the table up to $900 of combined income. For example, a parent with $1,200 a month and two children falls under the reserve, and the table at $1,200 shows $231.

Other children and split custody

Only prior-born children reduce income: support actually paid under earlier orders, support actually provided to other prior-born children, and an imputed guideline amount for prior-born children living in the parent's home. When each parent has sole custody of at least one of the children, two worksheets are prepared, one per household, and the parent with the larger obligation pays the difference.

When support ends and how to change it

Unless the parents agreed otherwise in writing or the decree says so, support ends when the child is emancipated at 18. A child who turns 18 while still a high school student keeps support during high school, but not beyond the end of the school year in which the child turns 19. A parent's death does not end the obligation, and arrears owed for the years before emancipation stay due.

An order can be changed only for installments after the motion is filed, and only on a material change that is substantial and continuing. If applying the guidelines to current facts changes the monthly amount by 15% or more, a material change is presumed; less than 15% is presumed not to be one.

Who runs child support in Kentucky

On July 1, 2025, the Division of Child Support Enforcement moved from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the Office of the Attorney General and became the Department of Child Support Services. County attorney and state staff services continued, and older documents naming the Cabinet remain valid. The Kentucky Child Support Interactive website keeps the online estimator, and either parent can ask the department for a review of an order.

Documents you will need

Kentucky child support FAQ

Is there an official Kentucky child support calculator?

Yes. The Kentucky Child Support Interactive website has a free estimator that does not require an open case, and the Attorney General publishes the CS-71 worksheet with instructions, including the shared parenting time lines.

How many days do I need for a shared parenting credit in Kentucky?

At least 88 days a year, counting a day as more than 12 consecutive hours in your care. The credit starts at 15% of the table amount and rises to 50% at equal time. You must request it by motion.

How much is child support for 2 kids in Kentucky?

At $8,500 of combined gross monthly income the table lists $1,444 for two children. A parent with 61.2% of that income and fewer than 88 days would owe $883 a month before child care and insurance.

Does 50/50 custody mean no child support in Kentucky?

Not unless incomes are equal. With equal days the higher earner is the payer and gets a 50% credit. In our example, with incomes of $5,200 and $3,300, that leaves about $161 a month.

When does child support end in Kentucky?

At 18, unless the child is still in high school. Then it continues while the child is a high school student, but not past the end of the school year in which the child turns 19.

Next steps

Sources

Verified against these official sources in October 2026:

Child support in every other state

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This is general educational information, not legal advice, and official figures change. Last verified: October 2026. Consult a licensed family-law attorney in Kentucky.