In this post, we’re gonna dive deeper into the career field that has completely stolen my heart! The world of child life is truly a calling like no other! Am I biased? Obviously! But you’re gonna find out why right here.
Let’s start with the obvious – what exactly is a child life specialist? This is a psychosocial / healthcare individual that works directly with children and families, typically in a hospital setting, to alleviate distress through play and child development skills. Some of us are more comfortable with the atmosphere of healthcare settings than others no doubt. But from the view of a child, the hospital is so vast, full of strangers and scary unknowns! Add on the likelihood of this child being unwell or dealing with some sort of stressful medical situation… yeah, nervous levels through the roof. And that’s where we come in!
From a quick glance, a certified child life specialist’s (CCLS) role may be misinterpreted as a ‘playmate’ or someone who provides the children entertainment type activities. When in reality, a CCLS does SO much more than that. The core of our work lies in child development, the indicators, behaviors, and abilities of each age group from birth all the way up to 17. We train to assess on the go, to best meet the needs of each patient we interact with and provide quality, personal care. So, what does one need to do to become a CCLS? Glad you asked… that’s the phase I’m in now.
Step 1: Bachelor’s degree – typically in child life studies, psychology, social work, or a closely related field. Upon completion of your degree comes the highly competitive child life internship. Then the certification exam. Pass the exam, yay! You’re now a CCLS! Time to find a job and begin your new chapter. The internship is a minimum 16-week program in a clinical hospital setting during which the intern works directly under a CCLS to apply their classroom knowledge to the real workplace. This is the part where things get tricky. Most internship programs require the student to complete a shorter, child life practicum to gain experience even before the internship itself. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, practicums have not fully reintegrated into most hospital student programs. I felt stuck, like I was about to finish this huge accomplishment with my undergrad degree… only to hit a severe roadblock.
Well, Jesus moves in miraculously ways doesn’t He?! Not long at all after this discovery, my mom texted me with a very, shall we say, “out there,” idea. “Soooo, what do you think about going to South Africa to do a practicum??” I replied, “Uhhhhh, I think you’re crazy.” I should know better by now that ‘crazy’ is kind of in my DNA. I could just hear my grandma in my mind, “You’re gonna go where??” and after some laughs and a big smile she says, “Dream big girl! You’re young and have so much potential. Go where God leads.” One thing led to another, and before I blinked I was accepted to Connect-123’s child life practicum in Cape Town, South Africa. I was preparing for the adventure of a lifetime, a 4 week stay in this beautiful country and my first time stepping foot outside the U.S.
January rolled around and there I was standing in Dulles International Airport, my parents had just left, my journey awaited me. One foot in front of the other onto the plane for a VERY long 14.5hrs before we were descending over Table Mountain in Cape Town! The nerves were so real but so was all the excitement and anticipation! I arrived at my apartment and met the other three girls, also students in all different places on our paths to be a CCLS. My preceptor, Meghan, greeted us at what would be our daily breakfast spot before heading out to the hospital. I remember going to bed that night, my mind swirling with everything I would possibly experience in the next 4 weeks.
I hate cliffhangers as much as you do I promise, but we’ll put a pin in that story for now. I’ll be writing a post coming soon allllll about my month adventure in Cape Town. For the theme of this post, my practicum experience was everything I ever dreamed and more. I told my best friend over the phone when she asked me “How was it?!?!” – “If I wasn’t passionate about child life before, I am now without even the slightest shadow of a doubt.” THIS is where I am meant to be. This is my professional home!” And even now as I’m writing this that belief is as solid as steel within me. It burns that fire brighter every day as I kindle the strength to chase my dream. One day, I aspire to write as Lauren Doty, CCLS.
