Child life internship at Dell Children's
Dell Children’s Medical Centers Child Life Internship Program is designed to support career training for those who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree in child life, child development or a related field. Throughout the semester, students will earn a minimum of 600 hours over the course of 16 weeks. Our goal is to provide interns with opportunities to expand their knowledge of child life and child development; enhance their therapeutic play skills; develop their ability to provide education and procedural preparation, and support and strengthen their assessment, intervention, and evaluation skills. Our internship is accredited by the Association of Child Life Professionals.
The internship program is unpaid and does not guarantee future employment. Housing, transportation, meals and medical insurance are the responsibility of the intern. All child life students are required to be affiliated with a college or university and complete the internship for course credit. At this time, the Dell Children’s Medical Center child life department is only accepting applications for our practicum and internship programs from students who are affiliated with the colleges and universities listed below. Internship offers are contingent on securing an affiliation agreement between Dell Children’s and the applicant’s college or university. Students must complete a criminal background check, have a current TB test, and other vaccination requirements in accordance with hospital policies.
Find out more about child life at Dell Children’s.
How to apply
To apply for the Dell Children’s Medical Centers Child Life Internship Program, applicants must submit a complete application to be reviewed.
The application components you will complete include:
- Completion of the ACLP Internship Readiness Common Application
- Uploading unofficial transcripts from all universities.
- Uploading the eligibility assessment
Once your application is complete, you may download the PDF and submit it via email to dcmc-childlifestudents@ascension.org. In the subject line of the email, please state the internship session (Spring, Summer or Fall) and the year. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
The application components listed above are the only documents that will be reviewed. No additional documentation (such as letters of recommendation, cover letters, resumes, etc.) will be required or reviewed for a candidate’s initial submission.
- Baylor University
- Eastern Washington University
- Ohio University
- Oklahoma State University
- Texas A&M University Health Sciences Center
- Texas Christian University
- Texas State University
- Texas Woman’s University
- The University of Central Oklahoma
- The University of Georgia
- The University of Iowa
- The University of Texas at Austin
Application deadlines
Internships are offered three times a year. Applications must be received by the application deadline or they will not be considered. Deadlines are set in accordance with the Association of Child Life Professionals internship scheduling guidelines.
Fall 2025 internships (August start date)
Application deadline: March 24th
Offer deadline: First Tuesday of May (May 6th)
Acceptance deadline: Wednesday May 7th
Spring 2026 internships (January start date)
Application deadline: September 5th
Offer deadline: October 7th
Acceptance deadline: October 8th
Internship overview
The internship experience includes a two-week orientation, two six-week clinical rotations and a two-week mini-rotation. Interns will also complete site visits to learn about other Child Life programs in the area.
Interns will be supervised by certified child life specialists. During the internship, students will:
- Observe and gain experience in assessing the needs of patients and families as well as documenting interventions in the medical chart.
- Plan and implement developmentally appropriate activities and therapeutic play sessions in group and individual settings.
- Observe and gain experience in providing patient and family support through coping interventions, developmentally appropriate education and preparation, emotional support and interactions that facilitate emotional expression.
- Attend an average of 20 educational in-services facilitated by certified child life specialists and other psychosocial staff covering a variety of topics applicable to child life practice and profession.
- Participate in multidisciplinary meetings and rounds, special hospital events and support groups.
- Complete assignments including weekly readings and journals, case presentations, and a major project.
- Receive support, feedback, and verbal and written evaluations.
Contact us
Dell Children’s Medical Center
Child Life Department
4900 Mueller Blvd.
Austin, TX 78723
Child Life Student Program Coordinator
dcmc-childlifestudents@ascension.org