Child Life Resident, Spring 2026

SHIFT:

Any (United States of America)

Seeking Breakthrough Makers

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) offers countless ways to change lives. Our diverse community of more than 20,000 Breakthrough Makers will inspire you to pursue passions, develop expertise, and drive innovation.

At CHOP, your experience is valued; your voice is heard; and your contributions make a difference for patients and families. Join us as we build on our promise to advance pediatric care—and your career.

CHOP’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

CHOP is committed to building an inclusive culture where employees feel a sense of belonging, connection, and community within their workplace. We are a team dedicated to fostering an environment that allows for all to be their authentic selves. We are focused on attracting, cultivating, and retaining talent who can help us deliver on our mission to be a world leader in the advancement of healthcare for children. We strongly encourage candidates of all races, colors, ethnicities, religions, perspectives, sexes, backgrounds, and lived experiences to apply.

A Brief Overview
Responsible for supervised involvement in the planning and implementation of a developmentally and emotionally supportive program for children and adolescents. The student will be expected to incorporate play, emotional support, health care education, and family involvement in order to enhance the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical well-being of children and families in the health care setting.

We are excited to share a new enhancement to our Child Life training program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Beginning in 2025, we will offer a 4-month paid Child Life internship designed to provide a comprehensive and immersive training experience for future Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS).

To learn more about our Child Life Program, please visit this link: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/child-life-education-and-creative-arts-therapy/child-life-internship

What you will do

• Patient/Family Assessment and Interdisciplinary Care:
• Accurately assesses, individualizes, and evaluates plan of care based on family/patient physical, developmental, emotional and recreational needs.
• Communicates plan to interdisciplinary team members and family.
• Collaborates with patients, families, and interdisciplinary team members to provide optimal care and services.
• Coordinates care with department co-workers including Child Activity Coordinators, Creative Art Therapists, and Teachers.
• Clinical Interventions:
• Provides developmentally-appropriate education, procedural preparation, and support to infants, preschoolers, children, and adolescents as it relates to their illness and medical treatment.
• Assists patients and family members in coping with the stresses associated with health care experiences.
• Plans and implements developmentally-appropriate individual and/or group activities for infants, preschoolers, children, and adolescents to promote self-awareness, self-expression, understanding, development, normalization, and mastery.
• Recognizes and addresses the importance of play and recreation in facilitating the child’s mastery and coping with the health care experience.
• Provides a safe, developmentally appropriate environment and/or materials for patients and families.
• Family-Centered Care:
• Is committed to delivering child life services founded on the principles of Family-Centered Care: Dignity and Respect, Participation, Collaboration, and Information Sharing.
• Seeks involvement and support of family members in their child’s plan of care, matching expectations with family needs and values.
• Advocates for opportunities for parents/caregivers to maintain their caregiver role.
• Documentation:
• Attends documentation in-service and demonstrates compliance with patient care documentation standards per departmental policy.
• Participates in departmental data collection, as directed.