Child Life Internship Application Materials

Internship Requirements

Child Life Internships follow the modules, guidelines, and assessment recommended by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP). A child life internship experience is exclusively offered at the New Brunswick campus for 15 consecutive weeks for a total of 600 hours. The internships are offered in the spring and fall, subject to staff availability.

Students are advised to check with the child life clinical internship coordinator prior to submitting an application to confirm we are accepting interns for the desired semester.

All deadlines for internships follow the ACLP Internship deadlines. These deadlines are typically the middle of March for fall and the first week of September for Spring.

To apply for a Child Life internship, students should carefully review the requirements below and send all materials electronically to the Child Life Clinical Internship Coordinator.

• Common Child Life Internship Application
• Please include a cover letter and current resume.
• ACLP Eligibility Assessment
• College transcript and list of current coursework.
  • Candidates may submit an unofficial transcript however an official transcript may be requested by the internship coordinator in some circumstances. Current coursework should be represented.
  • An updated official transcript is required if selected.
  • Candidates are responsible for notifying the internship coordinator of any changes to the transcript, including course changes or withdrawals.
• Preference is given to students who meet all 10 coursework requirements for ACLP eligibility prior to the start of the internship.
  • Students must have completed the following courses prior to starting their internship:
    • Child Life Course taught by a CCLS
    • Two (2) child development courses (ages 0-18)
    • Family systems course
    • Play course
    • 3 other accepted courses
• Completed ACLP eligibility forms are required. If submitting a letter from an ACLP endorsed academic program in lieu of the Eligibility form, the form must be completed in its entirety and the above courses MUST be completed prior to the internship.
• Additional coursework during the internship is discouraged.
• Minimum of 100 hours with well children
• Please provide descriptions within the common child life internship application.
• Minimum of 100 hours with hospitalized children and/or children with disabilities.
• Please provide descriptions within the common child life internship application.
• Proof of a 100-hour Child Life practicum.
• If a practicum will be completed prior to the beginning of the internship but has not been completed at the time of application, the confirmation of child life practicum in-progress form must be submitted.
• Please use the verification form found in the ACLP common application.
• *We recognize restrictions placed on healthcare environments due to Covid-19 may have impacted student ability to complete a practicum at this time. If you were impacted, we are temporarily waiving this requirement; however, you must address how you engaged with the field specifically during the pandemic in your cover letter and be prepared to provide additional information if requested. We reserve the right to give preference to students who completed a practicum or had an exceptional approach to addressing the lapse in programming.
• Reference Letters (3)
• Three (3) reference letters or ACLP recommendation forms may be sent with or separate from the application and may be sent electronically or via postal service based on the preference of the individual completing the recommendation.
• If sent via postal service, they must be received by the application deadline at our inpatient location.
• If the ACLP common recommendation form is used in lieu of a letter of a recommendation, the “additional, relevant information” section must be completed and specific to the applicant (not the role description.)
• It is strongly encouraged that at least one letter is from a child life specialist familiar with interactions with children and families.
• Students must be able to secure an affiliation agreement in order to be considered for an internship placement.
• Students are strongly encouraged to be familiar with the Association of Child Life Professional’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion statements and initiatives. As a program, we are committed to these principles of DEI.

Please review the Association of Child Life Professionals for the internship application process, available at www.childlife.org.

All internship materials must be submitted electronically to the Child Life Clinical Internship Coordinator, Christina Dellibovi, at cdellibovi@childrens-specialized.org. Students are encouraged to request a read receipt when emailing the application. Please note paper applications are not reviewed.

After reviewing all applications, the Child Life Clinical Internship Coordinator will notify selected candidates to schedule an interview. All eligible candidates with complete applications will be notified of their status within two weeks of the initial offer date.