A child life internship is the final step in the process of working toward certification as a certified child life specialist. The Johns Hopkins Child Life Internship Program, accredited by the Association of Child Life Professionals, is offered twice a year:

• Fall/Winter (typically the end of August to mid-December)
• Winter/Spring (typically the beginning of January to mid-May

Our program is a full-time 16 week experience, accumulating to a total of 640 hours upon completion.

The internship program consists of two clinical rotations, in which interns spend seven weeks each rotation identifying and practicing child life skills and working to become an integral member of the multidisciplinary team. The level of responsibility progresses gradually from initially observing to ultimately providing services independently. In addition to the clinical experiences, interns are provided with ample learning opportunities in the form of weekly seminars, readings and assignments all geared toward applying theory to practice, encouraging a reflective approach to child life practice and preparing interns for the child life certification exam.

Application Process and Important Dates

Applicants should apply using the most up to date Internship Readiness Common Application provided by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP). For more information about the application process and eligibility, please review the following information on the ACLP’s website: Overview of Internship Readiness Common Application.

Once all applications have been fulfilled:

1. Email completed application to [email protected]. For applications to be accepted and reviewed, all components of the application must be submitted in a single PDF and saved in the following format: (LastName_FirstName_Internship Session). ex. (Seiler_ Jennifer_Fall 2026)
2. Once accepted applications have been reviewed, selected candidates will be asked to send pre-recorded answers in a video response for the second round of interviews.
3. After second round video responses have been reviewed, from those candidates, a handful will be selected for the final round of interviews which will take place virtually. All final round interviews will be conducted live virtually, regardless of candidates’ distance to the Baltimore area.
   
   *Candidates not moving forward to next round of interviews will also be notified via e-mail.

Stipend

In order to increase accessibility to the profession, we offer our interns a stipend to assist with the costs associated with completing an internship. The amount being offered to students will be shared during final round of live interviews. 

More Information

Please also see the Association of Child Life Professionals website for recent updates and more information regarding certification eligibility requirements.

For additional information regarding the Johns Hopkins Child Life Internship Program, please contact the child life training coordinator, Jennifer Seiler, via email at [email protected].