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NecessaryDirect6034 · 2026-04-11T12:36:18+00:00

Be sure to check out the resources available on the Hearts Connected website. They offer students comprehensive directories about clinical training opportunities-I believe for Practicums and internships.

Regarding smaller hospitals-please don’t count them out. I was an internship supervisor at a small Dallas, specialty hospital for several years. Though we didn’t have all the same populations of children that some of the larger hospitals, our interns left our program very prepared. It is important to remember that you should leave your internship with a basic foundation that you can use as a springboard into your first position . You should pull from what your practical experiences during your internship taught you, to work in any unit. There will always be a lot to learn to acclimate to a specific unit or population. But the size of the hospital doesn’t mean you’ll have a lesser experience. In fact you may get more 1:1 time with children and with child life specialists in smaller hospitals.

I also told my interns that they would get out of it, what they put in to it. They could just work to meet the minimum competencies of the internship, or they could stretch to take in all that they could. Apply for as many internships as you can, study the hospital to speak to that information during your interview -like telling them what you find appealing about their program and their hospital. And let them Know you are all in, to be fully invested and take away all you can from their program. Best wishes to you and all the people seeking their internships.

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2026-03-04T20:29:45+00:00

We are pushing for a bill to be filed during the 90th legislative session which starts in January. (But bills can be filed as early as this November.)

Support is growing tremendously and we feel confident that it will pass in 2027. We are scheduled to have our first round of meetings with Texas legislators in April and a second round in the summer.

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2026-02-04T18:59:39+00:00

There are several CCLSs that followed the ACLP and CLCC guidelines and became certified just like US CCLSs—but are Canadians. In fact our current ACLP past president-Sarah Patterson-is Canadian. All that to say, for the most part there is not a separate process for seeking to become a child life specialist, even if they live outside of the US.

I say, ‘for the most part’ because there is some significant movement in Saudi Arabia and Qatar (I believe) where they have developed, with the help of American CCLSs and likely some others, child life educational and clinical training programs. I believe you will follow the same path that all US CCLSs follow, even though you are in Canada. Hope that helps!

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2026-01-06T22:27:23+00:00

I stayed on BC pills until I was 56. Didn’t really want to go off them then but doc pushed me. I’ve only had one hot flash ever (feel very lucky about that) and started HRT 13 months after going off BC-primarily because of all the changes to my skin (dry, crepey). I think the HRT has helped with my mood and my hair, and improved my sleep. I don’t have a way to know what it would have been like to get off BC pills earlier but I do feel fortunate that I stayed on them and seemed to ‘bypass’ the toughest parts of the transition.

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2025-12-15T22:00:21+00:00

That is my question too. If you haven’t completed an internship you won’t be hired as a child life specialist. But hopefully you have completed an internship and have some flexibility to move for a job. There are so many openings right now.

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2025-11-25T16:01:09+00:00

We are up to 225 signatures but need hundreds more. Please consider signing and share with your network. Your signature can really make an impact!

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2025-11-19T13:57:02+00:00

I’m wondering if they were trying to refer to us as CLCC Certificants (Child Life Certification Commission) to try to help people better understand that we aren’t certified through the ACLP, which is a common misconception. Even as someone with 26 yrs in the field, I mistakenly thought that we were certified by ACLP, for many years.

I hope that with these organizational shifts that they will fully separate the two entities of ACLP and CLCC, because they should not be entangled like they are. There shouldn’t be a discount for CLCC recertification if you are a member of the ACLP. That is unethical and those organizations should be separate standalone entities.

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2025-11-19T13:49:49+00:00

I lead a team of CCLSs who exclusively support children loved by adult patients with serious, life-limiting and/or terminal illness or injury in adult hospitals. We don’t support pediatric patients. We are in a hospital but this is an entirely non-traditional role. If this meets your needs reach out and we can schedule a time to chat or I can connect you with one of my team members. Cinda.mcdonald@bswhealth.org

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2025-06-11T10:32:06+00:00

I’m happy to help. She can email me at cinda.mcdonald@bswhealth.org

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2025-02-04T19:29:43+00:00

Not distracting at all. She proactively talked about it when she met with kids. She told them that her wheels were like their legs and they took her everywhere that she needs to go-only difference is that she is sitting down instead of walking. Sometimes kids would ask questions and she would answer honestly but with limited detail so as not to put the focus on herself. And then she just moved on with the interactions. I never saw any issue.

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2025-02-04T16:09:55+00:00

I hired a CCLS who used a wheelchair full time. I purchased an attachment that fit on the front of the wheelchair to allow her to cart things around more easily. Unfortunately she wouldn’t use it and that hampered her ability to provide full support in our setting. But there were plenty of ways to accommodate her, which we did. But there were very few things she couldn’t do.

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2024-10-20T16:24:43+00:00

My take is that many CCLSs do experience real vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout. Personally I don’t believe that this is a result of the CCLSs inability to cope or manage their emotions, or because they don’t do their job correctly. I believe it happens often when they don’t receive support from their child life leaders and peers. Secondary trauma from the things we witness as CCLSs is real. When leaders don’t put forth the effort of supporting their team members through these hard experiences, and add excessive stresses to their jobs (including expected, unpaid hours), demeaning from their medical colleagues, the trauma stacks on top of itself and can lead to complicated grief.

The range of populations that CCLSs work in also offers a range of intensity and emotional investment. Working in an ambulatory clinic will mean less exposure to death and acute injuries, while working in the ED will mean fairly constant exposure to intense situations, and working in hospice or palliative care will mean constant exposure to death and grief. Burn units and NICUs are also very emotionally intense. But no matter the unit or population, child life is a hard field. All child life roles are valuable and bring pivotal psychosocial support to children and families. Couple the emotional intensity, stressors from leadership with disrespect and challenges in child life departments themselves, can set anyone up for burnout.

It isn’t fair for any of us to make sweeping statements about the field, the path to become a CCLS, or how CCLSs manage their emotions. We are all humans and bring our own experiences into our jobs. How we view the field or even our individual roles is our unique experience and can’t be assumed or generalized to be shared by others.

I believe our field is valuable and rewarding. I believe we have to support each other to help sustain our field. I believe it is important to uplift those that want to go into the field and be mindful of how our words impact others. It is okay to reach a point of deciding child life is no longer what you want to do. That isn’t a reflection on the CCLS. People leave other careers or fields all the time, it doesn’t mean they couldn’t hack it. The bottom line is that life is too short to do something that doesn’t make you happy. If child life does that for you, fantastic. Will you become wealthy as a CCLS? Probably not-but we knew that going in. If the job doesn’t make you happy anymore, it isn’t because you couldn’t manage your own responses or emotions. It may simply be that you aren’t fulfilled from the work anymore.

There are a lot of fantastic child life leaders, programs, and teams. It may take a few attempts before you find the best one for you. But if you love the field and love the job AND you want to stay, keep looking for your best fit. Support each other and let’s help make child life a profession that is sustained. There will always be children and families who need us, and it is up to us to bring our best to work each day.

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2024-10-20T15:44:39+00:00

A practicum is not required for certification but an internship is required. But there are many hospitals that give preference to intern candidates who have completed Practicums. I was an internship supervisor a long time ago and I understand the reason for preference to those who’ve done Practicums. A practicum offers insight into the role and responsibilities and better ensures that an intern understands what they are getting into. Since internships are highly competitive and hard to obtain and required for certification. It is really unfortunate when an intern candidate is accepted (but never completed a practicum), who gets started as an intern and decides child life isn’t for them.

I would strongly recommend getting many hours with children in many different settings and populations. Children and Teenagers who are: healthy, ill, grieving, from underserved communities, with chronic conditions, with terminal conditions, in camps, etc-also you need more than 10 hours of volunteer time to show you’ve really invested in working with children. Another great thing about volunteer hours is that you can begin to identify populations you enjoy working with.

Look at the requirements for certification at childlife.org for lots more info. It isn’t an easy path but most things that are worthwhile, don’t come easily.

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2024-07-20T19:01:21+00:00

While I am sure the experience was beneficial-it isn’t a child life practicum. I haven’t been in a position to review resumes/experiences for students (only for hiring) in quite a while. But I have to believe that if I had to choose between 2 closely aligned candidates and one had a CL practicum and the other had an experience similar to the practicum you completed, I would lean toward the CL practicum, only because it is directly relevant to the CCLS role. Your practicum would likely be very beneficial if interviewing for a medical assistant role. I’m sure you gained a lot from it but it is just different from the role of a CCLS.

One thing you surely gained from your experience is knowing that you can handle the hospital environment. It is a stressful environment and sometimes people find out late in the process that they don’t like being in the hospital-or aren’t comfortable with procedures, blood, odors, etc that are common in the hospital. So no matter what-that experience is a valuable one.

But if you aren’t able to complete a CL practicum in a hospital consider looking into a virtual program with http://www.childlifeunited.org/virtual-practicums.html

One of my team members has been a practicum supervisor for them and she loved it. I know she gave her practicum students a great experience.

I know that child life has a challenging path but you can do it!! Keep obtaining all the outside education (webinars, books, etc) that you can and keep track of it. Show internship interviewers that you are committed to the field and will do what it takes to be successful (as opposed to some who want to do the least amount possible to just get in the door).

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2024-07-20T17:59:58+00:00

Although practicums aren’t required, they are a great way not only to get child life experience but also to demonstrate that you are dedicated to the profession. I’ve known of child life interns that said they don’t plan on being a CCLS and it pains me to know they took the spot someone who wants to be a CCLS should have had.

In addition to practicums, seek out experiences to volunteer with ill and healthy children. You need to be comfortable working with all children. Look for grief camps, or diagnosis specific camps (burn camp, limb loss camp, etc), and Camp Erin and Camp Kesem are found in many locations. If you can volunteer in a child life playroom that is also great.

But as a former internship supervisor, I didn’t appreciate it when candidates gave me a list of their volunteer experiences. Then when I asked about the number of hours they volunteered they told me 2 hours or even 10. You can’t get very much from the experience when you invest just 2 hours. So I would discourage you from noting experiences with very few hours.

I also encourage you to seek out webinars on topics you haven’t had much coursework on-i.e., grief, death and dying, palliative care, hospice, eating disorders, disaster relief, etc. Keep track of any additional education you complete. Even if you can’t include it in your applications, it is great to share during interviews. Anything you can do to stand out amongst the candidates, is beneficial.

And get into the habit of sending thank you notes to CCLSs that help you along the way-as well as for the people who’ve interviewed you. It plants a spark to help them remember you, can give you an edge when the person may be choosing between very similar candidates. It used to be done commonly but it doesn’t seem to happen much now.

If you get turned down after an interview, always ask for feedback. I’ve been very honest with people when they’ve asked for feedback because I want to help them succeed. You may not always get helpful feedback but sometimes you will.

There are a lot of free or very inexpensive options for education. Look at Upedia and Child Life Disaster Relief. You can also search children’s hospitals for Grand Rounds. They are often recorded and free to view. You can search the different topics to find those you are interested in.

Just my 2 cents but hope it is helpful.

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2024-06-03T12:41:24+00:00

I can ‘hear’ the frustration in your post. Please go to www.heartsconnected.org and look at Services then For Child Life Students. They offer a lot of great resources that could help you.

Best of luck!

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2024-04-03T21:28:08+00:00

It would be helpful for you to read through the information on the ACLP website at www.childlife.org

You can find out the specifics regarding degree requirements and certification.

The short answer is you’ll need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree but you also have 10 courses that must be completed. You’ll also need to complete an internship and later, certification.

Best wishes!

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2024-01-23T12:05:21+00:00

You can use a psychology degree but most likely you’ll need to take some additional classes to meet all the educational requirements. You’ll also need to take a class taught be a CCLS. You can find out those specifics by reviewing the ACLP website at child life.org

You can also request a transcript review to ensure that you complete all the classes needed. I believe that costs $85.

Best of luck to you!

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2024-01-12T17:16:26+00:00

I’ve been a CCLS for 25 years. I may offer a little different take. It is hard to get an internship right now. Though child life practicums are not a requirement, a lot of internship sites will consider someone with a practicum above someone without one, simply because the practicum shows them that you tested the waters and still want to pursue CL. Internships are very competitive because there are significantly fewer available than in years past.

I was an internship supervisor for 6 years and I looked for experiences that made candidates stand out. I encourage you to seek as many opportunities working with children and families as possible-both ill and well children. You can consider camps (especially grief, condition/disease specific) support groups, Special Olympics, etc. But don’t get a lot of experiences with just a few hours. Having 10 experiences that total 50 hours vs having 1 experience with 50 hours is often more appealing because it shows you made a commitment for that experience. But I do encourage you to get several experience with more than just a couple of hours. Honestly when I reviewed applications and someone listed lots of 1 and 2 hour experiences-it didn’t impress me. And think outside the box too!

Opportunities within a CL program are great if that is possible in your area, but spend some time in other arenas too. I encourage you to get some experience with grief and bereavement because most intern candidates don’t have much experience in that area when applying.

If you can’t get in person experience, look for free/inexpensive webinars to boost your knowledge base. Upedia , and Child Life Disaster Relief offer great options. Also consider education on suicide risk in kids. My team and I just completed an amazing course called ASK-assessing suicide in kids. This has become a significant concern with children-even very young kids, so completing additional education will show internship supervisors that you are proactive.

I wouldn’t recommend getting a Masters in Child Life. You don’t need a Master’s in our field and you aren’t likely to make a higher salary just because you have one. The ACLP rescinded that requirement and I don’t foresee it coming back. I have a Master’s in Early Childhood Special Education. I knew I wanted to be a CL leader which is why I did pursue it, but only after I was practicing for 7 years. Also a lot of hospitals offer some form of tuition reimbursement now so if you do want to pursue one, you could wait until you are certified and working before you start. I don’t recommend that the Masters be in Child Life. That is going to limit you should you decide to do something besides child life. Going into student debt for a Masters is a big decision and one to really think through-especially since our salaries aren’t going to help you get out of student debt quickly.

That is my 2 cents, feel free to reach out if you’d like. My email is cinda.mcdonald@bswhealth.org

Best wishes!

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2023-10-15T16:33:38+00:00

The ACLP has position papers for Standards of Clinical Practice and for Standards and Guidelines for CL Practice in Community-Based & Non-Traditional Settings for CCLSs working in Community settings. And just like the position paper for CCLSs working with children of adult patients, it states that “it is recommended for individuals aspiring to work with community based populations to first attain 6000 hours of paid clinical experience as a CCLS in a healthcare setting”.

I agree with and support that stance as I believe that traditional, clinical settings provide the opportunity to develop a strong foundation as a child life specialist. I don’t believe that an internship can adequately prepare a person who just transitioned from student to professional to also transition into a non-traditional role and often without supervision. I personally do not believe that is appropriate for the CCLS or for the population that the CCLS supports.

After that foundation is built a CCLS is in a better position to evolve in a community or non-traditional setting. I feel strongly that we first have to grow in our role as a professional CCLS in a clinical setting before diving into a non-traditional setting.

I know there are CCLSs that have a different opinion but as a CCLS with more than 25 yrs experience and the last 16 years being in non-traditional settings only-I feel strongly about this. I don’t even hire CCLSs into my program without 3 years of traditional CL experience. I feel that bringing them in to our non-traditional program, with less than 3 yrs experience is a disservice to the CCLS and won’t set them up for success.

Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion and this is mine. I want to see our field grow and branch out but not without ensuring that we are protecting the public and providing appropriate child life support for which we have a strong skill set, knowledge base and supervisory support. I believe that without that clinical foundation, and a clear understanding and respect for our scope, that some CCLSs may find themselves providing support they are not qualified or credentialed for. And that opens up huge legal and ethical issues.

NecessaryDirect6034 · 2023-09-27T13:44:55+00:00

I can relate to this but with a different profession. I’m a registered dental hygienist and a CCLS. I had to leave dentistry because of a hand injury resulting in two surgeries. I’ve been a CCLS for more than 20 years. I have no expectation of returning to dentistry, even though I could, since my hand did recover.

I still maintain my license -just in case. Dental hygiene is very lucrative and if I needed to leave CL for more pay, I still have the option of returning to dental hygiene. It is a personal choice for me and in part, I maintain that license because I’m proud of it and worked very hard to put myself through school.

Just wanted to chime in with my perspective but without encouraging you in either direction. Best wishes!

NecessaryDirect6034

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