By Belinda Hammond
Faculty Member, School of Education at American Public University
Child life specialists have long been associated with hospitals, but the profession has expanded to support children and families across a wide range of settings. Today, these specialists work not only in pediatric wards, emergency departments, and surgery units, but also with non-profit agencies and community programs that respond to traumatic events and support family-centered care.
The Child Life Council describes child life specialists as trained professionals who bring expertise in child development and family systems to help children and families through difficult experiences. Using play, preparation, education, and opportunities for self-expression, child life specialists promote effective coping and emotional resilience. They provide direct support to children facing illness, injury, or trauma and offer guidance and resources to parents, siblings, and caregivers. By educating clinicians, administrators, and the public about the psychosocial needs of children under stress, child life specialists help ensure that medical care addresses both physical and emotional wellbeing.
Skills developed through child life training are valuable in any career that serves children and families. Practitioners have applied child life principles across many non-traditional roles, including general and special education classrooms, early intervention programs, therapeutic services, and private pediatric practices. As the field diversifies, private practices and consultants are emerging to meet community needs in hospitals, dental clinics, hospice settings, outpatient clinics, schools, and home-based services.
Professionals with child life expertise are especially important when children encounter trauma—whether from a national crisis, a personal loss, or medical treatment. These specialists are trained to recognize signs of distress and to implement evidence-informed strategies that reduce anxiety and mitigate the risk of depression. Their interventions often use play and developmentally appropriate communication to help children understand procedures, express feelings, and build coping skills.
My own experience as a parent and clinician informed the creation of Child Life Connection. When my child faced minor surgical procedures, my background in child life allowed me to prepare him appropriately and to advocate for child-focused supports in a same-day surgical unit that lacked a pediatric program. Those early efforts grew into a program dedicated to creating pediatric-friendly spaces—places where walls and décor support healing, where play is part of the care plan, and where children’s psychosocial needs are considered alongside medical treatment.
Child Life Connection began by developing programs for hospitals that cared for children but did not specialize in pediatrics. Medical providers in those settings often had the clinical skills to treat children’s physical needs but had limited training in supporting the emotional and developmental needs unique to pediatric patients. Through grants and community partnerships, Child Life Connection helped bring colorful murals, donated toys, mobile playrooms, blankets, and multimedia resources to these facilities, making the clinical environment less intimidating and more conducive to healthy coping.
Many child life specialists now operate successful private practices or consult within broader health and educational systems. They carve out niches that fit local needs: consulting across hospital units, working with dental teams to reduce fear and pain, supporting families in hospice, offering developmental play interventions in schools, and serving children in outpatient or home settings. The common thread is a focus on child-centered, family-inclusive approaches that promote resilience and developmental continuity during stressful experiences.
Certification as a Child Life Specialist currently requires a bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) that includes a sequence of child life or related coursework—typically 10 or more courses—and at least one child life course taught by a Certified Child Life Specialist. Candidates must also complete a clinical internship of 480 or more hours. Many internships prefer or require prior volunteer experience in child life or related programs. American Public University offers HDFS401 Child Life Theory & Practice, an online course that meets the requirement for a child life course taught by a Certified Child Life Specialist and can support students pursuing certification eligibility. For detailed certification eligibility guidelines and scheduled changes to the process, prospective candidates should consult the official Child Life certification resources.
Some child life practitioners pursue dual certifications or complementary credentials—ranging from therapeutic specialties (occupational therapy, recreational therapy, art or music therapy, counseling) to education credentials (special education, early intervention, early childhood education). These combined qualifications strengthen a specialist’s ability to support children with ongoing medical needs, developmental challenges, or trauma histories. The training and volunteer experiences common in the child life community provide a strong foundation for anyone pursuing a career working with children and families, and they offer practical insights for future parents and caregivers as well.
About the Author
Belinda Hammond, M.A., CCLS, CIMI, is a part-time faculty member in the Human Development and Family Studies program at American Public University. She holds a B.A. in Child Development and an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University, Northridge, and an M.S. in Sports and Health Sciences from American Public University. Belinda has worked as a Certified Child Life Specialist and Child Life Consultant and brings 16 years of teaching experience, including 12 years online. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Oscar Litwak Foundation and is a community representative for Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties.