Child Life Specialist Preparation - University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

The child life specialist preparation certificate is ideal for you if you are seeking a career as child life specialists and helps you meet the first, academic, steps towards certification. It is also beneficial if you are seeking skills and understanding that can be employed in a variety of settings such as hospitals, child advocacy centers, schools, camp and bereavement programs, women’s shelters, hospice, trauma centers and more. Students from any major may complete the certificate which is particularly well suited if you are pursuing a major in family and consumer sciences-child life and family studies.

Child life specialists provide evidence-based, developmentally appropriate interventions including therapeutic play, preparation and education that reduce fear, anxiety and pain for children and youth. See childlife.org for more information

Why study Child Life Specialist at UW-Stevens Point?

The Child Life Specialist Preparation Certificate, one of our newest additions to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point family and consumer sciences-child life and family studies major, leads to an occupation in which child life specialists provide evidence-based, developmentally appropriate interventions including therapeutic play, preparation and education that reduce fear, anxiety, and pain for children and youth.

Plan of Study Academic and Career Advising Undergraduate Certificate Graduate Certificate

Practicum Student

Sophie Smith ’21

Sophie Smith ’21 served as a child life practicum student at Community Hospice & Palliative Care in Jacksonville, Fla.

Insights of Interns

Casey Brodhagen ’20

Casey Brodhagen ’20 was served as a child life intern at Children’s Wisconsin in Milwaukee

Major: Family and Consumer Sciences

Option: Child Life and Family Studies

Child life and family studies students at UW-Stevens Point are nationally certified to work with families in a variety of settings, agencies and programs. Graduates take positions working in childcare, youth centers, adoption agencies, family crisis and elder care programs. Additionally, the Child Life Specialist Preparation Certificate leads to an occupation in which child life specialists provide evidence-based, developmentally appropriate interventions including therapeutic play, preparation and education that reduce fear, anxiety, and pain for children and youth.

Pre-Approved Courses

Complete the 10 required/recommended courses required by the Association of Child Life Professionals.

Approved Courses

Pursuing child life at UW-Stevens Point

Join the Child Life Association of Stevens Point (CLASP), the student organization focused on helping each other on the path to careers in child life. Watch CLASP interviews with Certified Child Life Specialists to learn more about their path into the field.
Start volunteering and working with children who are healthy and typically developing, as well as children who are fighting illness or disease, are grieving or have developmental challenges. Log and track these hours; you will need at least 100 hours in each category, but successful students often have hundreds of hours in both categories.
Plan to complete a practicum experience, which is essentially a two or three week intense job shadow with a Certified Child Life Specialist in a hospital.
Know that your final two steps in the process will be an internship, a 600-hour experience in a hospital and a certifying exam.

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