Child Life Services Internship Program
Interested in completing a child life internship at Children’s National Hospital?
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 Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) required courses
Housing, meals, transportation, parking and additional expenses to support the learning process are the responsibility of the intern.
Important Applicant Information
We are NOT accepting students for the Summer 2025 application cycle.
We will be accepting students for the Fall 2025 application cycle.
Spring and Fall Internship Availability
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.
Learn More About Applying
Review important information about our application requirements and review process, where to send letters of recommendation and more.
A completed application includes the following:
- We require the completion of the ACLP common application
- This includes uploading your transcripts and ACLP eligibility assessment. Please ensure that these are included in the PDF of your common application.
- Resume
- Two letters of recommendation - Please see letters of recommendation tab for more information
- Three additional essay responses: Please keep responses to under 300 words each.
- Describe what you think you will experience in this child life internship and what you hope to gain from this experience.
- Describe how a child life specialist can impact hospitalized children and families.
- Describe your strengths and weaknesses when working with children, adolescents and families.
Application and Email Information
Please complete the application using the ACLP common application link below.
Once completed, email all materials (excluding recommendation letters) to our internship email address with the subject line “Last Name – Application Cycle Internship Application.”
Example - Smith Spring 2025 Internship Application.
Application Deadlines
We follow the ACLP deadlines for the internship application process. Please check the Clinical Internship website for the most up-to-date information about application deadlines for both fall and spring semesters.
Contact Information
For more information about our Child Life Services Internship, please contact:
Sophia DeBacco, M.S., C.C.L.S., Claudia Pereira, M.S., C.C.L.S., and Madison Walker, C.C.L.S.
Child Life Internship Coordinators
Child Life and Integrative Care Services Department
Children's National Hospital
111 Michigan Ave NW
Washington, DC 20010