What is the care discount?
The care discount is a discount on the child maintenance payable. If the paying parent regularly has the child with them, they incur costs for that (food, clothing, activities). The care discount compensates for this — so that the paying parent does not pay twice.
The discount is a percentage of the child's needs: the amount from the needs table. That amount is then deducted from the paying parent's share of those needs.
The care discount brackets 2026
| Contact days per week | Percentage | Days per year |
| Less than 1 day a week | 5% | fewer than 52 days |
| On average 1 day a week | 15% | about 52 days |
| On average 2 days a week | 25% | about 104 days |
| On average 3 or more days a week | 35% | 156 days or more |
| Co-parenting (roughly 50/50) | 35% | about 182 days |
Exception: if the paying parent structurally fails to honour the contact arrangement, the court may set the care discount to 0%. That does not follow from a number of days; in the calculator you select that situation separately.
Example calculation of the care discount
Suppose the child's needs are € 600 a month and parent A's share of them is € 450 a month. Parent A has the child 2 days a week (25% care discount).
- Parent A's share: € 450 a month
- Care discount 25% of the needs (€ 600): – € 150 a month
- Child maintenance payable: ± € 300 a month
Care discount with co-parenting
With co-parenting (roughly 50/50) there is no separate calculation: the Rapport Alimentatienormen makes no distinction from a generous care arrangement. The contributing parent receives the 35% care discount on their share; what remains is the contribution to the other parent. If one parent clearly earns more, a contribution usually remains.
What if the parents' combined capacity falls short?
Sometimes the combined capacity of both parents is lower than the child's needs. That is called a capacity shortfall. Each parent then pays their full capacity, and half of the shortfall is deducted from the paying parent's care discount. If the shortfall is more than twice the care discount, the care discount lapses entirely. The amount therefore comes out higher than you would expect from the full care discount. Alimentatie Inzicht works this out automatically; the worked examples show it step by step.
More contact, a lower care discount?
The more days the child spends with the paying parent, the higher the care discount and the lower the contribution. The care arrangement, however, is agreed in the child's interest, not to steer the maintenance. Want to know what a different split means? Work it out with Alimentatie Inzicht.
Frequently asked questions
What is the care discount for child maintenance?
The care discount is a discount on child maintenance for the paying parent's contact costs: 5% for less than 1 day a week, 15% for on average 1 day, 25% for 2 days and 35% for 3 days or more (also with co-parenting).
How does co-parenting count for the care discount?
With co-parenting (roughly 50/50) the care discount is 35%, the same bracket as for 3 or more days a week. There is no separate calculation: the discount comes off the share of the contributing parent.
Can the care discount come out lower than the percentage?
Yes, in a capacity shortfall. If the combined capacity of both parents is lower than the child's needs, half of that shortfall is deducted from the care discount. The care discount is then lower and can even be € 0; a negative care discount does not exist.
Does the care discount come off the share or off the total needs?
The care discount is a percentage of the child's total needs (the table amount). That amount is deducted from the paying parent's share of those needs.