How much does it cost (Food, clothing, shelter, meds, dental) etc to care for a child per month and per year?
Well, isn't that an interesting question. One to which I have never seen a satisfactory answer. Nor am I able to answer this empirically.
Children are add-on costs to my current living expenses, if they were living with me. The decider in their living arrangements would be me. As my circumstance improves the children's improves proportionatly. If it were to decrease their fortunes would be directly tied to mine.
Since they don't live with me, I have no control over what the actual cost of the children are. That cost to me has been determined by a third party. I have no accounting for cost over-runs, nor am I credited with any surpluses. I am extorted by an ever more expensive and insidious protection racket.
What do I get for the money I spend? Children I see for two days (Sat @ 9am back by 5pm Sun.), twice a month, every other holiday, and two consecutive weeks in the summer.