Child Life Specialist job description.
A Child Life Specialist helps children and families cope with the stress, fear, and disruption of hospitalization, illness, or medical treatment. They use play, education, and preparation techniques to help children understand procedures and reduce anxiety, while supporting siblings and parents through the experience. The role typically operates within a hospital or healthcare setting alongside medical and psychosocial care teams.
The Child Life Specialist job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Child Life Specialist Reports to: Child Life Program Manager
A Child Life Specialist helps children and families cope with the stress, fear, and disruption of hospitalization, illness, or medical treatment. They use play, education, and preparation techniques to help children understand procedures and reduce anxiety, while supporting siblings and parents through the experience. The role typically operates within a hospital or healthcare setting alongside medical and psychosocial care teams.
- Assess the developmental and emotional needs of pediatric patients
- Use therapeutic play to help children process medical experiences
- Prepare children for procedures using age-appropriate explanations
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
2 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
6 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Child Life Program Manager
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Assess the developmental and emotional needs of pediatric patients
- Use therapeutic play to help children process medical experiences
- Prepare children for procedures using age-appropriate explanations
- Support siblings and family members coping with a child's illness
- Collaborate with medical staff to plan patient- and family-centered care
- Provide distraction and comfort techniques during procedures
- Document interventions and communicate updates to the care team
- Advocate for the psychosocial needs of patients within the care plan
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in child life, child development, or related field
- Completion of a supervised child life clinical internship
- Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) credential as required by employer
- Strong understanding of child development and family systems
- Prior experience in a pediatric hospital or clinical setting
- Training in trauma-informed or grief support practices
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Child Life Specialist job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Child Life Specialist job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The mid band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Child Life Program Manager) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- Is certification required for this role?
- Most hospitals require or strongly prefer the Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) credential, obtained after a qualifying degree and supervised internship.
- Where do child life specialists typically work?
- The majority work in pediatric hospitals or hospital units, though some roles exist in outpatient clinics, hospice, or specialty treatment centers.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
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A Recreational Therapist uses activity-based interventions such as sports, art, and music to help patients recover from illness, injury, or disability.
Social Worker
A Social Worker helps individuals and families navigate personal, social, or health-related challenges by connecting them to resources and support services.
Patient Advocate
A patient advocate helps patients and families navigate healthcare systems, understand treatment options, and resolve concerns about care, billing, or access.
This Child Life Specialist job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.