Becoming a child life expert requires a bachelor’s degree, additional psychology classes, and an internship. Certification and continuing education are also necessary, and job availability may be limited to large city hospitals. Fluency in another language or experience with children can increase job opportunities. Emotional resilience is also important due to the high-pressure nature of the job.
There are several educational steps you must take to become a child life expert. Generally, the more education you receive, the better. Job availability, however, may be minimal, but your chances of finding opportunities are often increased if you have other skills to offer, such as being able to speak another language fluently or having experience with children.
Before starting your educational path in this specialty, you can consider a few things. Most importantly, perhaps, child life specialists work high-pressure jobs and often take an emotional toll, especially when a young patient loses their life. Being able to deal effectively with difficult and sad situations is definitely a prerequisite.
Another consideration is location – you will likely need to live in a fairly large city to find work. Many hospitals do not have child life departments, and unless you can get funding to start one, most of the available work takes place in major city hospitals.
Once you’ve determined that you want to become an expert in child life, you’ll first need to earn a bachelor’s degree. Generally, if you have an undergraduate degree in child development or education, you’ll need to take a lot of additional psychology classes to fully cover the spectrum of things you’ll need to know to work in this job. Some universities now offer children’s life programs, which can give you the best training and the most likely chances of employment when you finish your degree.
In addition to education in family counseling, bereavement, child development, family dynamics and cultural sociology, you can also spend some time studying medical terms. You must have at least a minimal knowledge of medical terms and, perhaps, also a course aimed at understanding the main diseases of children. As parents can be frustrated when they feel they have to explain these matters to a hospital staff member, this knowledge can be of great help as you prepare to become a child life specialist.
When attending the school, you might also consider a volunteer or paid position working with children. Volunteering at a center or camp for children with serious illnesses should help develop your career. Most states have mandatory programs for preschool-aged children with significant learning disabilities or illnesses who qualify for free preschool and services. Often these schools, called SELPA in California, are happy to hire assistants, although the hours may conflict with the school schedule.
Once you meet the classroom requirements, you will need to complete a minimum of 480 hours for an internship with a children’s life program. This is a great opportunity that can help you make the connections you need to get a job in this field. It is important to note, however, that these positions are often unpaid or low paid.
Most US states require certification to work as a child life specialist. This certification will include mandatory fingerprinting and background checks. Some programs may also request a drug test or psychological evaluation. Certification can require around 4,000 hours of supervised field experience before you can take an exam. Check state laws for specific guidelines, as they can vary. Getting certified in multiple states can increase your chances of employment. Once you become a certified child life specialist, continuing education may be required to maintain certification.
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