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Choosing an Academic Program
Locating an academic program that meets one's individual needs while providing thorough preparation for the child life profession is an important and sometimes complex task. This document has been developed to assist people with this process by identifying useful resources, highlighting individual considerations and summarizing relevant portions of the Standards for Academic and Clinical Preparation Programs in Child Life (Revised 2001).
Individual Considerations
- Program size.
- Program philosophy and location within the college.
- Program structure: Is it tightly prescribed or are there opportunities for individual choice (elective course work) and variation?
- Clinical training: Are there a variety of observation/field/clinical opportunities made available throughout the program?
- Career options: Does this program prepare students primarily for careers in child life or does it offer concurrent opportunity to pursue training in a related discipline?
- Preparation for certification: Does the academic program prepare the student to meet the eligibility requirements to sit for the Child Life Professional Certification Examination?
Key Portions of the CLC Standards for Academic and Clinical Preparations Programs to be Considered
- Are there resources and materials available to support a child life student?
- Does the program's basic and core courses reflect content in all areas outlined in the Standards document?
- Does the program offer at least 10 courses in areas accepted for certification eligibility?
- Do the faculty and staff who teach core child life courses and provide field supervision have background experience and knowledge of hospitals and pediatric health care? Are they actively involved in the Child Life Council?
- Are any faculty and staff certified child life specialists?
- Are there opportunities for advisement, evaluation and supervision of students throughout the program?
- Are career counseling and placement services made available to students prior to and after program completion?
- Does the program include a field-based experience with healthy children prior to a child life internship?
- Does the program offer experiences with children of all ages in a variety of settings?
- Is there a component of the program that prepares and assists in securing an internship?
- Are there ongoing coordination, planning and communication between the academic faculty and the clinical site supervisor(s)?
- Does the academic program periodically evaluate its components?
Child life Professional Documents to be Considered
- ** Standards for Academic and Clinical Preparation Programs in Child Life found in the Official Documents of the Child Life Council (Revised 2001)
- ** Child Life Competencies found in the Official Documents of the Child Life Council (Revised 2001)
- Current Child Life Professional Certification Examination Candidate Manual (includes list of course areas/departments accepted for certification eligibility, and an examination content outline)
** These documents are obtainable through the Child Life Council office.