Champlain Valley AHEC is continually seeking ways to improve our services and programs. We are eager to hear your comments and questions. You can email us directly at and we will get back to you promptly.
Champlain Valley AHEC is continually seeking ways to improve our services and programs. We are eager to hear your comments and questions. You can email us directly at and we will get back to you promptly.
Health Careers Spotlight:
Child Life Specialists are experts in child development, who promote effective coping through play, preparation and education. They provide emotional support for families, and encourage optimum development of children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, particularly those related to healthcare and hospitalization. Child Life Specialists provide information, support and guidance to parents, siblings, and other family members as well as educating caregivers, administrators, and the general public about the needs of children under stress.
Where you might work: Child Life Specialists are vital members of a multidisciplinary team in most large pediatric facilities, as well as many smaller pediatric inpatient units. They often service specialty areas like the emergency department, surgical and intensive care units, and outpatient units. Child Life Specialists generally work in hospitals but may also be found in outpatient healthcare facilities, doctor's office, hospice care, specialized camps, schools, court systems, and funeral homes.
Job Outlook: According to a 2008 survey conducted by the Child Life Council (CLC), Child Life Specialists earn a salary in the range of $35,000 to $43,134 per year.
Education, Licensing & Certification: To become a Child Life Specialist, you must earn a minimum bachelor's or master's degree, with an educational emphasis on human growth and development, education, psychology, or a related field of study. Child Life Specialists adhere to a code of ethics and standards established by the Child Life Council, a national professional organization which also administers the rigorous process for obtaining the Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) credential. All Certified Child Life Specialists must complete a supervised 480-hour clinical internship, pass an examination, and adhere to a minimum standard for continued professional development in order to maintain their certification.
For more information on a career as a Child Life Specialist, please visit the Child Life Council web site at www.childlife.org.
Child Life: Empowering Children and Families to Cope with Life's Challenges, Child Life Council, Inc. [Online] Available http://www.childlife.org/files/AboutChildLife2008.pdf
(updated 10/6/09)
Jennifer Eddy, CCLS, is a child life specialist at Vermont Children’s Hospital. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in human development from the University of Vermont (UVM). She completed her Child Life Internship at Vermont Children’s Hospital and currently works there in the Children’s Specialty Center.
We interviewed Destiny for the Fall 2009 version of The Convener to discuss her experiences working in the field of Child Life.
How did you become interested in becoming a Child Life Specialist?
After receiving my undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education and Human Development, I taught second grade in the Swanton school system for six months. During that period, I decided that I loved teaching but wanted to focus on educating children one on one. I had looked into alternative settings and with help from UVM career services, I found the Child Life profession.
How long have you been working as a Child Life Specialist?
For almost four years.
What other alternatives did you consider?
Before I found the Child Life profession, I considered starting my own daycare. After I completed my Child Life internship, I also considered using my skills in an alternative setting such as a court house.
Did any person influence your decision to become a Child Life Specialist?
A job opening at the end point of my internship helped influence my decision. I began working as a per diem and made my way to full-time when the outpatient clinic (Children’s Specialty Center) posted a full-time position.
What personal needs are satisfied by your occupation?
The Child Life occupation is very rewarding. I receive a great deal of joy helping families cope through potentially the most difficult times in their lives. It is satisfying when a child looks forward to coming to the hospital rather than fearing it.
In what ways has your occupation changed you as a person?
I have learned how to prioritize my responsibilities at work due to the volume of children that come in for appointments on a daily basis, which has in turned helped me to become skilled at prioritizing my responsibilities at home.
If you didn’t have to work, would you anyway? If not, what would you do?
If I had the opportunity to stay home, I wouldn’t. I would love to travel around the world but that’s what retirement is for. I can’t imagine giving up the opportunity to spend time with children and families I support on a regular basis.
Describe the demands of your job...
I am a salaried employee and work about work 40 hours per week. The pressures vary greatly depending on the patients that are scheduled for the day, the types of appointments they have, and the patient’s anxiety level and coping strategies. The job can be complex at times. It can be particularly difficult attempting to advocate for patients when either caregivers or staff are unwilling to accept support. I have found that educating staff and caregivers about what Child Life can provide really helps to break barriers. Another challenge that the job brings at times is having a short amount of time to process my grief after having provided bereavement services to a grieving family during scheduled working hours. There are many
different disciplines that a Child Life specialist interacts with on a daily basis. Each staff member has a different personality, different ideas, skills and interpretations of responsibilities. Fortunately, I work with a great group of professionals who are truly dedicated to working together to provide patients and families with the best care possible.
What is a typical day for you?
When I come to work, I make sure to assess the clinic patient load and prioritize the needs of the patients. In-services, meetings, projects, cleaning and restocking supplies occur in between patient needs. There isn’t a typical day in the life of a Child Life Specialist. Any of the following could occur:
Do you supervise the work of others?
I supervise occasionally—volunteers, students job shadowing, Child Life interns and MedQuest students.
What personal characteristics are desirable to be a good Child Life Specialist?
This career requires personal characteristics such as patience, kindness, empathy, independence, inquisitiveness and creativity.
What special knowledge and skill does a person in this job need?
To work in the Child Life profession, a person requires special knowledge of human development. A professional should be
hardworking, flexible and resourceful.
What kinds of people do you work with? Coworkers, clients...?
A Child Life Specialist works with social workers, psychologists, pastoral care, nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, medical
students, residents, medical assistants, technicians, support staff, patients siblings, caregivers, volunteers and community members.
What do you like best about your job and what aspects cause you the most frustration?
I like the learning aspect of my job; learning about new families, their interests and emotions, their child’s diagnosis, the treatment plan, their experiences along the way. The most frustrating thing about the Child Life profession is that it is fairly new to families and some co-workers, which means that we spend a good deal of time educating and advocating for ourselves to get our foot in the door to meet families before we can even help the children.
What high school classes should be taken to prepare for this health career?
A wide variety of classes should be taken in high school to prepare for this healthcare career. We do a combination of administrative work, networking, teaching, coordinating activities, writing, public speaking and more.
What requirements exist, in addition to schooling—training, experience, certification, and license?
After an undergraduate degree in a Child Life or related field (social work, nursing, psychology, human development, teaching, etc.) is obtained, volunteering and a Child Life internship is required in order to sit for the certification exam. The internship allows for the skill
building and training needed to be able to sit for the exam and practice in the profession. Professional hours are needed to keep up the Child Life licensure. These hours can be obtained by attending related conferences and workshops.
What are the career ladder possibilities in this field?
A Child Life Specialist can work in many different settings, most commonly in a hospital. Depending on the hospital, a Child Life
program may offer a clinical ladder. Since this field is fairly new, many hospitals are still working toward achieving this possibility. Based on achievement, education, responsibilities and experience, a Child Life Specialist may work up the clinic ladder toward director. Some hospital programs have Child Life directors and some have Nurse Managers that oversee responsibilities and advocate for the profession.
Can a person specialize in the field of Child Life?
A Child Life Specialist can work in a setting in which they gain specific knowledge and can learn to specialize in a specific field. Time,
experience and knowledge could help a person gain the status of “specialist” in a specific area. For example, a Child Life Specialist who has training and works with children on a regular basis to provide education and support when they have tests such as endoscopies and
colonoscopies, would be considered proficient or “specialized” in that area.
What changes are occurring in this field?
Child Life Specialists are breaking through barriers everyday to make the profession known to coworkers and community members. We are finding new and alternative ways to help kids cope with many different types of challenges, in my case, that are associated with being treated at the hospital. More professionals are learning and acquiring this new vocabulary known as “child friendly language,” and are using it to effectively communicate with children and their families. This knowledge has allowed our field to delve into areas that were untouched for so long by Child Life Specialists.
How does the economy impact this field?
We receive a great deal of support from community members through donations. The donations vary from checks to toys and books. Surprisingly, the donations we receive seem to be impacted very little by the current economic status. In terms of salary, the team at Vermont Children’s Hospital is funded primarily through the pediatric inpatient unit. In the past, and to some degree still, the Children’s Miracle Network has funded salaries. So far we have been able to expand our team to seven people and still feel as if there are days and hours that we could utilize more staff.
Can a person work flexible hours as a Child Life Specialist? Part of full time?
There are not set hours that a Child Life Specialist can work. Depending on the setting in which a person works and the amount of staff in the department, it could be anywhere from per diem to full time. The goal is always to be available whenever a child might be in need of support; however, this is not always possible due to funding.
Do you encounter any problems combining your job with your family life?
I often have to remind myself to leave my work at work, both for confidentiality purposes and also for the well being of my family. It is easy to let the job consume you and without a proper amount of emotional and physical down time, the gap between age/experience and burn out rate has the potential to get smaller and smaller.
What advice would you give someone who is planning to enter this field?
My advice to a future Child Life Specialist would be to devote 100% of yourself to your responsibilities at work and make sure to take good care of yourself outside of work. The burn out rate for this profession is very high. The reason being, if you do your job well, it requires a great deal of energy, adaptability and emotion.
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