Child Life Internship Application

Applicant requirements

Refer to the ACLP Internship Readiness Knowledge, Skills and Abilities guide for applicant requirements.

The Child Life Internship Program accepts only university affiliated students who meet the program applicant requirements.

Application process

All application materials must be submitted by the deadline date. No late applications will be considered.

*Please note our program does not offer a summer internship program.

Individuals wishing to become certified must meet specific academic and clinical experience requirements in addition to passing the Child Life Professional Certification Exam. 

Learn about the pathway to the profession.

Application

To be considered:

1. Complete the Internship Readiness Common Application. Detailed instructions on how to complete the application are in the guide.

2. Email the downloaded application to childlife-internship@cmh.edu.
   
   
3. The email subject line should state the internship session (winter/spring, fall, summer) and year.
   
   
4. The PDF downloaded as part of the ACLP Internship Readiness Common Application is the only component that will be reviewed. No additional documentation will be required or reviewed for a candidate's initial submission (no letters of recommendation, cover letters, resumes, etc.).

Applicants can refer to this guide to help them understand key terms linked to the Internship Readiness Common Application.

Interviews

An interview is required for internship selection. You may be contacted for a virtual interview after all application materials are reviewed.

Acceptance

Individuals will be notified of their acceptance into the internship program in accordance with the Association of Child Life Professionals Internship Offer Guidelines. Please reference this link for further Association of Child Life Professionals Internship Information.

Housing arrangements

Housing arrangements are the responsibility of the intern.

Immunizations

Proof of the following immunizations must be provided upon acceptance to the internship program:

• An up-to-date MMR or positive Rubella Titer
• Hepatitis B series
• Tdap vaccine (2005 or later)
• Chicken pox vaccine
• A current two step tuberculin skin test
• COVID-19 vaccine
• Flu vaccine

Proof of immunizations is the responsibility of the intern and must be provided upon acceptance into the program. All immunization documentation will need to be provided by the intern’s physician or documented by a health care facility.

Health form

A completed health form (to be provided) is required for each intern.

Insurance

Both professional and general comprehensive public liability insurance is required and must be obtained by the child life intern.

Internship

Child Life interns are required to complete 16 weeks of 40 hours per week, totaling a minimum of 600 hours.

Contract

A legal affiliation agreement must be signed by the intern's university and the hospital prior to the intern's starting date. While not the intern's responsibility, they will be kept informed of the status of this agreement prior to the starting date, as the intern cannot begin the internship without this completed agreement. At this time, Children’s Mercy does not have affiliation agreements with Towson University and Central Washington University.