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How to Succeed in the Competitive Field of Child Life

child-life-specialist-requirementsBy Belinda Hammond
Faculty Member, School of Education at American Public University

This article aims to answer questions about the upcoming changes in the certification process of becoming a certified child life specialist (CCLS), and will make recommendations on how to stand out from other applicants when seeking practicums, internships, and jobs in child life field.

According to the Child Life Council, child life specialists are “trained professionals with expertise in helping children and their families overcome life’s most challenging events.” I recently wrote more about this growing field.

The process of becoming a CCLS is overseen by the Child Life Council. Several changes are planned in the certification process and these changes may impact students’ choice of academic courses, hours of clinical internship needed, and the decision to pursue graduate studies.

Current Certification Requirements (through 2018)

The current certification requirements include:

  • B.A./B.S. in any field.
  • CCLS taught theory and practice course that includes coverage of six required elements as established by the Child Life Council (child life documents; scope of practice; impact of illness, injury, and health care on patients and families; family centered care; therapeutic play; and preparation). HDFS 401 Child Life Theory & Practice meets this requirement.
  • Nine additional courses focusing on child life, child development, family development, psychology, counseling, sociology, therapeutic recreation and/or expressive therapies. Courses focusing on death/dying, biomedical ethics, cultural diversity, medical terminology, and anatomy/physiology are accepted regardless of the department they are offered through.
  • 480+ hour clinical internship meeting the Child Life Council’s requirements.

Changes in Certification Requirements (2019-21)

  • B.A./B.S. in any field.
  • 600+ hour clinical internship meeting the Child Life Council’s requirements.
  • The 10 courses withing the certification will have specific requirements, so if there’s any question about when you’ll be able to become certified, focus on classes that meet these new requirements:
    • CCLS taught theory and practice course that includes coverage of six required elements as established by the Child Life Council (child life documents; scope of practice; impact of illness, injury, and health care on patients and families; family centered care; therapeutic play; and preparation). HDFS 401 Child Life Theory & Practice meets this requirement.
    • Two child development courses (birth through 18 years of age; lifespan courses or adult development courses won’t count for this requirement).
    • One family systems course focusing on family relationships/dynamics.
    • One therapeutic benefits of play course.
    • One loss/bereavement or death/dying course.
    • One research course.
    • Three additional courses in child life or related content area (recommended courses include anatomy/physiology, medical terminology, and ethics).

Changes in Certification Requirements (2022-24)

  • M.A./M.S. in any field with a specialization in child life.
  • 600+ hour clinical internship meeting the Child Life Council’s requirements.

Changes in Certification Requirements (2025)

  • M.A./M.S. in child life.
  • 600+ hour clinical internship meeting the Child Life Council’s requirements.

Where to Begin?

Most, if not all, internships require varying levels of experience. Every hospital establishes its own internship eligibility requirements, so request an internship application packet from the hospitals you’re considering (many have applications printable from a webpage on their hospital’s site) to determine which of these are requirements and which are simply recommended:

Volunteer

100+ volunteer hours in a child life program. Some hospitals are specific about volunteering in a Child Life Playroom and at patient’s bedside, while others are more flexible and allow volunteer experience from other units in a hospital or even an alternative setting. The more varied your volunteer experience and the more hours you have completed, the more competitive your application will be — so consider requesting cross-training in multiple units (PICU, NICU, and ER are often given greater consideration — but also typically require 50+ hours of experience on a Pediatric unit before being given the opportunity to cross-train). Also, consider alternative settings for additional hours and varied experiences — programs such as Make-A-Wish, Ronald McDonald House, Starlight Children’s Foundation, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and often local non-profits, offer services to the same children and families, but in different settings. Often there are local therapeutic agencies such as Therapeutic Horseback Riding that can offer terrific insights into supporting therapies in a medical setting; as well as special education classrooms and traditional general education classrooms that welcome volunteers — take advantage of the opportunity to gain experience working with typically- and atypically-developing children, and with children of varying ages, prior to applying for internships.

Child Life Practicums

Some hospitals require practicums, while others don’t. If the hospital you plan to apply to an internship with requires one, it’s advisable to ask if practicums/internships in alternative settings will meet their requirement, as these are often less competitive and therefore easier to secure. Many of the alternative settings listed above offer practicums and internships.

If you haven’t already begun seeking out volunteer experiences, this should be your next step — as the more experience you can gain prior to applying for internships, the more competitive you will be.

Student Affiliation

You do not need to be a student to secure an internship — if you are no longer a student and want to apply; there are many hospitals that accept independent interns. Just be sure to review the requirements on each internship application to ensure you are able to apply as independent before submitted.

If you are a student, you will have more options for internship sites. One of the most frequently questioned issues with internship applications is student affiliation. Since each hospital establishes its own requirements for affiliation, let’s establish what each requires:

  • A contract signed by hospital and university. Since our university crosses state boundaries, we are unable to sign contracts between hospital and university. However, if you have a degree from another university, contact your academic advisor or chair and ask if they’d be able to sign — several students have been able to sign up for a single independent study course and be considered an affiliated student with a former “brick and mortar” university they’ve previously attended.
  • You are an academic student. If you are enrolled in a course at APU, you can provide verification of enrollment and student status. If no contracts are required and you simply need to verify enrollment to be considered affiliated.

Create a Strong Professional Resume

If you haven’t already visited with our career services to see sample resumes and cover letters, it’s a free service that can make a world of difference. When you’re pursuing a specific field such as Child Life, make sure to highlight those relevant experiences — what requirements have you met, which ones are in progress, and which experiences reflect positive qualities about you but may be in another.

Additional Ideas for Setting Yourself Out from Other Candidates

Consider pursuing graduate studies, which can include an MA/MS (being a current academic student can make the process of securing an internship easier), academic certificates in child life or related field, becoming certified in related specialties such as infant massage or play therapy, or consider taking a language course (foreign language or sign language can make a huge difference when working in pediatrics.)

Most students who have secured an internship have applied to 15-20 programs, secured three to five interviews, and received a single offer. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t secure an internship in the first attempt. Use the additional time to build your resume. Child life is truly an incredible field with many opportunities with many more positions being created in both alternative settings and private practice.

The temporary challenge is securing the needed opportunities to gain experience while the certification process is being adjusted to meet the needs of the field. Be patient, but persistent, and the perfect opportunity will present itself soon enough!

About the Author

Belinda Hammond, M.A., CCLS, CIMI is a part-time lecturer of human development and families studies programs at American Public University. Belinda earned her B.A. in Child Development and her M.A. in Educational Psychology, both from California State University Northridge. She also has both an M.S. in Sports and Health Sciences from American Public University and a PhD in Special Education, Disabilities and Risk Studies from the University of California Santa Barbara in progress. Her professional experiences include working in-hospital as a Certified Child Life Specialist and as a Child Life Consultant, as well as 17 years of teaching experience with 13 years online. Her mission as a Certified Child Life Specialist is to bring play, diversion and education into pediatric settings, all in an effort to make being in the hospital less scary for kids — to date, she’s coordinated the creation of 23 original murals in pediatric spaces and the creation of play programs throughout California, and is on the Board of Directors for the Oscar Litwak Foundation (donating mobile playrooms to pediatric programs throughout the country) and is a Community Representative for Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties.

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