Child Life Practicum

Child Life Practicum Recommended Standards

• Standard 1

  The child life practicum is largely an observational experience with child life practicum students beginning to engage in independent play and developmentally supportive interventions with infants, children, youth, and families as deemed appropriate by the supervising Certified Child Life Specialists® (CCLS).

• Standard 2

  The child life practicum student will be supervised by a CCLS who has achieved a minimum of 2,000 hours of paid work experience in the field.  The supervising CCLS must be currently practicing in the field of child life; however, the setting of the child life practicum could vary.

• Standard 3

  The child life practicum encompasses a minimum of 100 supervised hours. The child life practicum experience may include a combination of practicum hours being completed in no more than two different settings given each setting builds upon and strengthens a child life practicum student’s continual development and growth as a CCLS.

• Standard 4

  Child life practicum hours should be completed in an appropriate setting that provides the child life practicum student with the opportunity to observe and learn from psychosocial interventions that assist infants, children, youth, and families coping with the stress and uncertainty of illness, injury and treatment.. Approved settings can include:
  
  

  Pediatric in-patient units including critical care units and in outpatient areas including emergency departments, radiology and imaging, specialty care clinics, behavioral and rehabilitation.

  Community outreach programs

  Private practice

  Hospice services and home health

  Camps for children with healthcare needs

  Private medical and dental practices

  Services to children of adult patients

• Standard 5

  The child life practicum includes observation opportunities for students to explore the following theory and interventions related to child life practice:

  Child life assessments

  Developmental theory integration

  Therapeutic play interventions

  Rapport building

• Standard 6

  The child life practicum learning experiences include activities and assignments that allow the child life practicum student to begin to apply and integrate knowledge and theory application for future clinical practice and help to initiate the development of a personal philosophy of child life practice. These learning assignments should include:

  Journaling

  Educational in-services and discussions

  Specific and structured readings