How to Become a Child Life Specialist: Skills, Degree & Career Path

A child life specialist is a healthcare professional who wishes to work in pediatric healthcare to make a meaningful impact. They work with your child during medical challenges, illness, or hospitalization to ensure their life remains as normal as possible. They try to ease a child’s discomfort during the hospital experience and provide supportive coping skills through play, education, and self-expression.

In this blog, we will discuss how to become a child life specialist and the various opportunities available to these medical professionals.

Also Read: Child Life Specialist vs Pediatric Therapist: What’s the Difference?

6 Steps to Become a Child Life Specialist: Education, Skills & Certification

A child life specialist is a healthcare professional who helps children and families cope with the stress of medical treatments. Here are the steps to follow if you want to pursue a career as a Child Life Specialist:

1. Educational Requirements 
2. Advanced Degrees 
3. Child Life Specialist Certification (CCLS) 
4. Clinical Experience
5. Core Skills 
6. Career Settings 

Educational Requirements

• Complete your 10+2 preferably in the science stream.
• Earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology, sociology, or child/human development.

Advanced Degrees

• Pursue a master’s degree in child life care or a related field. Though a master’s degree is not a mandatory qualification to become a child life specialist, it can provide learners with hands-on training and make them more competitive in the job market.

Child Life Specialist Certification (CCLS)

• Seek a certification from a professional association to meet certain specific requirements for becoming a child life specialist.

Clinical Experience

• Getting experience through an internship is another requirement to become a Child life specialist. An internship adds work experience to the learner’s resume. Graduates can seek internships at children’s hospitals, pediatric burn centers, or specialized programs for children with critical diseases.

Core Skills

A strong foundation in child development, along with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, is a must for child life specialists. Here are some core skills required:

• Empathy and Compassion: The most crucial emotion that you must possess as a child life specialist is empathy. Candidates must be able to understand and empathize with children and their families to support them effectively.
• Communication: Child life specialists must have practical verbal, nonverbal, and written communication skills to build rapport, listen actively, and explain complex information to diverse audiences.
• Adaptability and Creativity: Every child reacts differently to stress. Hence, specialists need to adjust their approach accordingly, using creative techniques such as play therapy, storytelling, and other activities.
• Patience and resilience: A child life specialist requires immense patience and emotional endurance to handle children and their families going through trauma, illness, and grief.

Also Read: Beyond Hospitals: Diverse Career Paths for Child Life Specialists

Career Settings

A Child Life Specialist can explore the following career settings:

• Inpatient and outpatient clinics: Providing support to children and families receiving ongoing care.
• Surgical and emergency departments: Preparing children for medical procedures and supporting them to cope with sudden trauma.
• Hospice and Palliative Care: Providing emotional and psychological support to terminally ill children and their families
• Rehabilitation Centers: Helping children adjust to injuries, disabilities, or chronic health conditions.
• Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
• Hospitals and Pediatric Units: Supporting children and families involved in medical procedures, surgery, or prolonged treatments.
• Outpatient Clinics: Helping children to manage medical anxiety or fear.
• Community and Nonprofit Organizations: Providing grief support, trauma recovery, or family education programs.
• Private Practice or Consulting: Developing therapeutic play and coping strategies for children coping with stress or trauma outside the medical setting.

What to Expect as a Child Life Specialist: Job Outlook, Work Environment & Salary

Child Life Specialists provide emotional and developmental support to children and families in healthcare settings. The employment outlook of Child Life Specialists indicates continued or increasing demand across hospitals and healthcare settings in the US and globally. The salaries earned by these professionals may vary depending on experience, location, and other factors. The average salary of a Child Life Specialist in the US is around USD 94,477 per annum.

Career Outlook

• The projected increase in demand for child life specialists reflects the growing recognition of their importance.
• The primary work environment is in hospitals and other healthcare settings, where they support children and their families through medical experiences.
• The salaries of these professionals can vary significantly by experience and location.
• The entry-level child life specialists in the US may earn around USD 70,000, while a senior specialist with a few years of experience could earn around USD 94,000 annually.
• In the United States, Child Life Specialists work in supportive, fast-paced settings in healthcare, primarily in hospitals or clinics. Child Life Specialists join medical teams in their efforts to help children and families navigate illness and treatments.

Also Read: Why 2025 is the Ideal Year to Start a Master’s Program in Child Life?

How Edgewood Prepares Students for a Career as a Child Life Specialist?

Child Life Specialists provide crucial emotional and developmental support to help children cope with the stress of illness, injury, and hospitalization. Edgewood University prepares learners for the role of a Child Life Specialist through its Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Child Life programs. The program blends theoretical coursework with extensive field experience to build the required skills needed to succeed in this field.

FAQs on How to Become a Child Life Specialist

Q: What degree do you need to become a child life specialist in the USA?
Ans: To work as a Child Life Specialist in the United States, you usually need to obtain a bachelor’s degree in child life, child development, psychology, or another related field. This academic degree gives you a foundation in child development, family dynamics, and healthcare for the position.

Q: How long does it take to become a certified child life specialist in the USA?
Ans: It typically takes 4–6 years to become a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) in the United States, including a bachelor’s degree (about 4 years) and a clinical internship totaling at least 600 hours. After that, the candidate will take a certification exam through the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP).

Q: Do child life specialists work only in hospitals in the USA?
Ans: No, Child Life Specialists in the USA do not only work in hospitals. They can also work in a variety of non-hospital facilities, including clinics, dental offices, schools, hospices, camps, and community-based settings, providing support to children and families.

Q: What is the average salary of a child life specialist in the USA?
Ans: If you become a child life specialist in a hospital or non-hospital setting, you can earn around USD 70,000 at the entry level. In contrast, a senior specialist with a few years of experience could earn around USD 94,000 annually in Canada.

Q: How does Edgewood help students prepare for certification and real-world practice?
Ans: Edgewood prepares students through practical clinical education, hands-on clinical experiences, practical work internship sites, and simulation education courses where students practice pediatric care. The program also provides practice in preparation for the CCLS certification exam and practical experience in pediatric care.