About the Children’s Child Life Internship Program

Internship training is the final requirement for students pursuing a career as a Certified Child Life Specialist. The Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Child Life Internship, accredited by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), is offered three times each year in the winter/spring, summer and fall.

Our internship program is full time (40 hours per week) for 16 weeks, totaling 640 hours. Interns gain hands-on experience learning child life competencies as they rotate through two primary units in our hospital system. Students are also provided with additional learning opportunities in the form of weekly seminars, readings, and assignments with the goal of integrating developmental theory with clinical practice, encouraging a reflective learning environment, collaborating with peers, and preparing for the transition from student to professional.

For additional information about the certification process, coursework requirements, eligibility for certification, and career planning, please visit the Association of Child Life Professionals website.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Applicants must be a graduate or in the final year of their undergraduate or graduate programs with a strong background in child development or a closely related field. Bachelor and master level students are accepted.
• Applicants must complete the Association of Child Life Professionals course review through Eligibility Assessment and have documented verification of a minimum of 10 approved courses. All courses must be completed by the start of internship.
• Completion of a minimum of 100 hours of practicum experience working under the direct supervision of a Child Life Specialist in a healthcare setting. Practicum must be completed by the start of the internship semester. Candidates must include a letter from their practicum supervisor indicating total hours completed/anticipated.
• Unofficial transcripts are accepted.
• Children’s accepts both affiliated and unaffiliated students.

How to Apply

Applicants should apply through the Association of Child Life Professional’s Internship Readiness Common Application process. To learn more, please read the Internship Readiness Common Application Guide. Please email your completed application to ChildLifeInternship@choa.org and include your name in the subject line.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta will not be hosting an internship during the FALL 2025 internship session. Children's will begin accepting applications for the WINTER/SPRING 2026 internship session on August 5, 2025, at 12am EST. We will stop accepting applications after 75 completed applications are received OR until the deadline of September 5, 2025, at 11:59pm EST. Please note, incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Candidates will be alerted via email if we are no longer accepting additional applications.

All applications received prior to August 5, 2025, at 12am EST will not be reviewed.

Please note: Application is not a guarantee of interview or acceptance. A limited number of students will be accepted each semester. The number of students accepted varies each semester due to the number of applicants and supervisor availability.

Completed Application Details

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta accepts the first 75 completed applications received each semester. Details about what is considered a complete application is below:

• ACLP Common Internship Readiness Application
• ACLP Eligibility Assessment
• Unofficial academic transcripts verifying courses/program required by the ACLP Eligibility Assessment
• Letter from practicum supervisor indicating number of hours completed

Internship Session Dates

Winter/Spring 2026 Semester: January 5 - April 24
Summer 2026: May 4 - August 21
Fall 2026: August 31 - December 18

Please note: internship dates are established with limited flexibility.

Contact Us

Please reach out to ChildLifeStudents@choa.org with any questions regarding our student programs.