Child Life Services Internship Program
Interested in completing a child life internship at Children’s National Hospital?
We are currently accepting students for the Spring 2025 application cycle. The application deadline is September 6, 2024 per ACLP guidelines.
The Child Life Services Internship Program at Children's National Hospital is an intensive, clinically based program which meets the child life certification requirements regarding clinical experience. Our full-time program is designed for bachelor's and graduate level students from the fields of child life, child development, early childhood education or other related fields of study which include a strong child development emphasis.
Individuals must be affiliated with a college or university in order to apply for our internship. Prior to the start date, an affiliation agreement must be established and signed by both Children's National Hospital and your university/institution. Selection of interns is based on previous experience working with children, completion and recommendation from a child life practicum program, successful completion of all child life coursework, interview and references.
Our internship program will only accept students who have:
- Volunteer experience in a pediatric hospital setting
- Completed a child life practicum with a minimum of 100 hours completed by the time of the application deadline
- All 10 ACLP required courses
Internships are offered twice a year (spring/fall) with one intern participating in each session. Please visit the ACLP website for more information about application deadlines and offer dates.
Upon being accepted to the program, all students must be cleared through a background investigation which is arranged and paid for by the hospital. Students must meet our Occupational Health requirements which includes the completion of our medical form by your private physician and up-to-date immunizations.
After applications are reviewed and interviews are conducted, selections are made by the internship coordinators and education committee. Acceptance into the program is based on capacity and the qualifications of applicants.
Housing, meals, transportation, parking and additional expenses to support the learning process are the responsibility of the intern.