Becoming A Child Life Specialist: It’s More Than Just Child’s Play

No one ever wants to imagine the worst case scenario in which a child in their life falls ill….The crowded hustle of a hospital waiting area, the pain and fear in your little one’s eyes, and the panic of individuals constantly coming in and out with news. But in these instances, there are often individuals who rise above this panic and stress. In these instances, child life specialists are there to provide comfort, reassurance, and opportunities for normalcy to children and their families as they cope.

The role of the child life specialist is multifaceted. For many, this role continues to be dictated by an antiquated reputation of the “play ladies.” However, over the past 50+ years the field of child life has grown exponentially and now defines itself as those who “provide evidence-based, developmentally appropriate interventions including therapeutic play, preparation and education to reduce fear, anxiety and pain” (ACLP, 2018).

So what does it take to become a certified child life specialist? As an individual currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Child life and Family Centered Care, I can reflect firsthand that the training protocol for this profession are extensive and may even serve as a barrier to entry for future professionals. To begin my preparations for this career, I studied Child and Adolescent Psychology, with a focus in Dance Therapy during my undergraduate years. Additionally, I actively sought out volunteer placements to best support my grad school applications and eventual internship placements [many sites require 100 volunteer hours prior to application]. During my 1.5 year Master Program, I have completed a 400hr Child Life Internship at Boston Children’s Hospital and will be at Good Shepherd Community Care in their Pediatric Palliative Care Program for an additional 200 hrs.

While all of my experiences entering and interacting with the child life field have been net positive, for many child life students and interns, this is not the reality which they face. In the summer of 2022, internship placements began reporting rejection rates as high as 98%. Students reflected that during these cycles, they were expected to apply numerous times to as many as 40 sites (Jacobson, 2022). In addition, all child life internships are to be completed unpaid, while students continue to pay relocation, tuition, and transportation costs. Finally, the average annual salary was reported at approximately $55k in 2022, with physicians, in the same institutions, earning nearly four times that amount (Glassdoor, 2022).

As this clinical field continues to grow and receive more notoriety and awareness, the child life professional must find ways to support its students, interns, and rising colleagues. By providing considerations for child life staff, they can then go on to best serve children and families in their institutions. If you are interested in the child life professions or have recently been introduced to it, the ACLP website is a great resource and provides opportunities for professional forums on their organizational structures. Additionally, speaking out and providing feedback to local pediatric hospitals about the necessity of child life is essential to allocating additional funds and staff within the profession.

To many children, families, and clinicians, child life specialists may still be seen as the people for play, however, by advocating for ourselves, in the same way we do for our patients, we can encourage positive change on an institution-wide, organizational level.