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 Prerequisites for a Child Life Internship

​ ​​​​We only accept interns affiliated with a college or university. All Child Life internship application materials must be emailed to childlife@marshfieldclinic.org be​fore midnight by the deadline for consideration.

Due to unresolved contract negotiations, we are unable to accept students from the University of Missouri or Missouri State Univer​sity.

​​If you are a Therapeutic Recreation (TR) student, you must be eligible to sit for both Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) Certification exam and NCTRC exam.

The Child Life Team at Marshfield Children's will now accept the new In​ternship Readiness Common App​lication​ for consideration for an internship for our program. PLEASE NOTE: we require a Medical Terminology course to be completed prior to internship. It should be reflected on your transcript with your Internship Readiness Application.

Required readings

Read the following prior to your internship at Marshfield Children's:

  • Child Life in Hospitals: Theory and Practice; Thompson and Stanford
  • Psychosocial Care of Children in Hospitals: A Clinical Practice Manual; Gaynard, Wolfer, Goldberger, Thompson, Redburn and Laidley
  • Meeting Children's Psychosocial Needs Across the Healthcare Continuum; Rollins, Bolig and Mahan
  • The Handbook of Child Life: A Guide for Pediatric Psychosocial Care (2009); Thompson
  • Highly suggested:  A Child in Pain, Leora Kuttner
  • Highly suggested:  The Pips of Child LIfe: The Middle Years of Play Programs in Hospitals, Turner and Brown

After reviewing the applications, the top 10 candidates will be contacted for a virtual interview. If you are offered an internship and accept, you will need to complete the health work requirements and a background check. If not already established, we will need an affil​iation agreement/contract with your college/university.

PictureThis internship site is accredited by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), under the direction of Certified Child Life Specialists.