Child Life Specialist Internship

About our internship program

The child life internship at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford is an intensive 16-week program that provides training and education for senior-level bachelor or graduate-level students pursuing a career as a Child Life Specialist. Interns are required to be affiliated with a college/university and be currently enrolled during their internship. Applicants must also meet and have completed specific child life intern requirements, including completion of Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) approved core coursework, to be considered for our internship program. The ability to commit to the full-time 40-hour-a-week program for all 16 weeks, in addition to required readings and assignments during the internship, is required. Our staff provides services throughout the day and night, year-round, for our patients and families; therefore, interns must also be able to work flexible hours/days depending on the needs of their unit, including potential nights (in the emergency department) or weekends. Specific rotations and hours will be discussed and determined with the intern during their orientation.

Please note: The Child Life and Creative Arts Department at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford will only accept applications for a full-time, 600-hour internship from affiliated universities with whom we have a current student placement contract. These universities include:

  • Loma Linda University
  • University of La Verne
  • Mills College
  • American Public University
  • Azusa Pacific University
  • Central Washington University

Internship dates

We will not be providing a summer internship in 2025.

Fall internship 2025

  • ACLP deadline for eligibility assessment: February 25, 2025
  • Application deadline: March 24, 2025
  • Initial offer date: May 6, 2025

Winter/spring internship 2026

  • ACLP deadline for eligibility assessment: August 20, 2025
  • Application deadline: September 5, 2025
  • Initial offer date: October 7, 2025

Submissions instructions

Complete the Internship Readiness Common Application. Before sending, open the PDF file to ensure it is finalized and no longer editable before sending it to internship sites. Editable PDF files sent to internship sites may not be viewed properly due to formatting. Progress must be saved to the applicant's computer within this fillable PDF file. Work can be saved at any time and stored within the applicant's computer files. The Internship Readiness Common Application is composed of three parts. These three components include this fillable PDF, the Eligibility Assessment, and unofficial transcripts. After completing the Internship Readiness Common Application, applicants are responsible for submitting the completed application to each internship site they are applying to. It is up to the applicant to review specific application requirements for each internship site. Detailed instructions on how to complete the application can be found in the guide here.

Email the downloaded application to CLInternship@stanfordchildrens.org. The email subject line should state the internship session (winter/spring, fall, summer) and year, e.g., Fall 2025.

The PDF downloaded as part of the ACLP Internship Readiness Common Application is the only component that will be reviewed. No additional documentation will be required or reviewed for a candidate's initial submission (no letters of recommendation, cover letters, resumes, etc.).

If you have additional questions or needs regarding the child life internship, please contact the Child Life and Creative Arts department at (650) 497-8336. Please visit this website frequently for the most updated information.