San Francisco's internship program is accredited by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP). We are currently accepting internship applications for spring 2026 and fall 2026. At this time, we will consider students affiliated with the following programs only:
- Azusa Pacific University
- Loma Linda University
- Santa Barbara Professional and Continuing Education (UCSB PaCE)
- University of California
- University of La Verne
To apply, you must have:
- 100 hours of experience working with well infants, children, youths or families
- 100 hours of experience working with infants, children, youths or families in stressful situations, health care settings or programs for children with special needs
- Clinical in-person practicum experience (preferred but not required)
- Successfully completed child life coursework in applied areas of study required by the ACLP
- Completed the academic coursework portion of the ACLP's eligibility assessment
- Completed the child life internship application
Before beginning the internship, you must also:
- Provide photo ID and proof of health clearance; immunizations, including for COVID-19; and an up-to-date tuberculosis (TB) test
- Provide documentation of liability insurance coverage, either through a university affiliated with UCSF or with a private liability insurance company
We do not offer part-time internships. During the program, you must be willing to:
- Work a minimum of 40 hours a week, including holidays, evenings and weekends
- Meet weekly with your rotation supervisor and internship coordinator
- Keep a journal, including sample chart notes and developmental assessments
- Create personal goals and rotation goals
- Prepare a case study and present it to the Child Life Services team
- Observe in-service trainings as requested
- Attend weekly classes taught by the Child Life Services team
- Complete rotations as assigned
- Prepare a significant project that directly benefits Child Life Services and its goals, which must be approved by the internship coordinator and rotation supervisor
Internship program structure
Interns work at the bedside with a certified child life specialist conducting therapeutic play, diagnosis teaching, preparation, procedural support, sibling support, charting and more.
The 15-week program consists of:
- Week 1: orientation with an internship coordinator
- Rotation 1 (six weeks) and rotation 2 (six weeks) with a certified child life specialist
- Two elective weeks
- Weekly meetings with an internship coordinator
- Weekly classes with the Child Life Services team
Internship hours are mostly completed during the workweek, with some holiday, weekend and evening hours.
A rotation supervisor is assigned to each intern. Your supervisor will meet with you once a week to discuss goals, journal entries, a case study, and specific rotations and interventions.
Internship application process
Before applying for the internship, please make sure you meet all the requirements listed above.
Prior to submission, gather the following:
- ACLP application materials in PDF format
- Name of one reference and their email address
- University name and academic adviser
Please submit your materials via our online portal.
We follow the ACLP's application deadlines. Once the due date has passed and we've reviewed your application, we will contact you. The review period consists of three rounds:
- Round 1: The internship committee reviews the applications.
- Round 2: If chosen as a round 2 candidate, you'll receive a supplementary questionnaire by email. This must be completed within 72 hours.
- Round 3: Final interview, conducted via Zoom, per ACLP guidelines.
