Child Life Services Practicum Program

Winter/Spring 2024 Practicum:

• Application Deadline: September 7, 2023
• Initial Offer Date: October 10, 2023
• Acceptance Date: October 11, 2023

Summer 2024 Practicum:

** Please note that our summer practicum will be a condensed, 40-hour week, 4-week long practicum session.

• Application Deadline: January 5, 2024
• Initial Offer Date: February 13, 2024
• Acceptance Date: February 14, 2024

Fall 2024 Practicum:

• Application Deadline: March 15, 2024
• Initial Offer Date: May 7, 2024
• Acceptance Date: May 8, 2024

• Active enrollment in a college or university
  • As of January 2022, we can no longer accept unaffiliated students
• Minimum 3.0 GPA
• Experience working with well/healthy children, reflected in your resume
• Volunteer hours in a hospital setting, reflected in your resume
  • Minimum of 50 hours completed prior to applying
  • Must be under the direction supervision of a CCLS

Once accepted, students will be required to have an affiliation agreement (hospital contract) signed by their host university. Students must also successfully pass a background check and complete a health screening as a part of the clearance process before beginning the practicum.

A completed application consists of:

• Child Life Services Practicum Application including:
  • Resume
  • Cover letter
  • Unofficial transcripts from each college or university attended
• Two recommendation letters
  • Recommendations should be written on letterhead (if applicable) and must be signed, scanned and emailed directly from the recommender to childlifepracticum@childrensnational.org
  • Recommendations must be completed by a professor, supervisor, manager or other individual who has observed you working with children

If you have any questions, please email us.

Laura Thackeray, CCLS
Certified Child Life Specialist

Samantha Wilkins, MS, CCLS
Certified Child Life Specialist

Currently, we are only able to accept one practicum student per semester.

During the fall and winter/spring sessions, students are on site for 16 weeks (2 days per week for 5-hour shifts). During the summer session, students are on site for 13 weeks (3 days per week for 5-hour shifts). Most practicum students acquire approximately 200 hours per semester. Practicum students complete three rotations on different hospital units or outpatient areas/clinics. The days of the week and specific hours that students are on site may vary throughout the semester based on each rotation.

Practicum students’ three rotations are selected by the practicum coordinators based on staff/supervisor availability each semester. While we try to take students’ interests into consideration when determining rotations, we cannot guarantee placement on any specific units or areas of the hospital.

Practicum students are assigned weekly readings, journals, diagnosis case studies, play activity write-ups and self-evaluations. Each practicum student also completes a final project which is presented to the Department of Child Life & Integrative Care Services at the end of the semester.

We encourage you to check with your academic advisor to ensure that your school will be willing to sign a contract and provide you with liability insurance during the semester that you intend to complete the practicum program.

No, the practicum program is an unpaid learning experience.

No, we are not able to provide housing assistance.