If you’ve been active in student forums on platforms like Facebook or Instagram, chances are you’ve come across the term “child life assistant.” You may find yourself wondering what exactly this position entails and how you can pursue it. We’re here to provide the answers you seek! In this blog, we’ll delve into the world of child life assistants, shedding light on their role and guiding you through the steps to become one.
What is a child life assistant?
A child life assistant is typically a member of the child life team. Your roles may include (but are not limited to) maintaining the play spaces, receiving and organizing donations, providing normative play in the playroom and at the bedside, providing parent respite, working with volunteers, assisting in holiday preparations, or other additional tasks needed by the child life department.
How do I become a child life assistant?
While the basic requirements may vary from hospital to hospital, you generally need to be knowledgeable about child development and working with kids. While many child life assistants are pursuing child life certification, it’s not a requirement! The assistant at my practicum was not pursuing certification but she did enjoy organizing daily play activities, working with the volunteers, and assisting the team with whatever they needed!
Why doesn’t every hospital have this position?
Most hospitals don’t have a child life assistant due to funding. It can be really challenging to come up with the funding for a child life department so expanding to a child life assistant can be difficult. But, in a perfect world, I think every department would benefit from a CLA!
Where can I find this job opportunity?
You can start by checking out indeed or LinkedIn and look for jobs under the title “Child Life Assistant”. But sometimes the titles of this position may vary. It might be called something like “activity coordinator”.
What would my day-to-day job look like?
Each hospital will have its own idea of what your daily tasks would look like and, just as a child life specialist, it will probably change each day! But, it would probably involve having a patient census, prioritizing play needs, meeting with volunteers, leading around special visitors, and creating play opportunities within the play areas. Some positions may involve evening or weekend work as well as holidays depending on the way the department runs.
A CLA position is a great way to gain experience while also receiving a paycheck. These positions can be rare, but if you’re lucky enough to live near a hospital with a position I would definitely recommend checking it out!
