Child life specialists work with children and families facing a variety of challenges, usually related to medical care. In addition to working directly with pediatric patients to serve as advocates and provide an understanding of medical procedures, child life specialists offer family assistance in the form of sibling support and hospital information. They can provide coping mechanisms and a sense of normalcy for children undergoing long-term treatment. They also serve as educators for the general public on the topic of childhood diseases and the unique needs of pediatric patients.
The Bachelor of Science degree in child life at ECU prepares students to take the child life certifying exam and to work as specialists in the field by providing complete knowledge of family dynamics, interpersonal communication, developmental milestones and screenings, behavioral management and basic understanding of medical terminology. Students take courses in nutrition, sociology, child psychology and biology and must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 to remain in the program and graduate as a child life major.
In addition to academic courses, students in the child life program learn through hands on experience by completing a clinical practicum and a semester-long internship in a hospital. Students also have the opportunity to learn by participation in the school's child development lab (CDL) which offers child care and early education for the surrounding community as well as child care for developmentally delayed children. Student volunteers and interns are given the opportunity to apply what they've learned in their classes by working with children on a consistent basis while being closely supervised by child life faculty and CDL staff.
Upon graduation, students will be prepared to sit for the Child Life Professional Certification Examination which is a four hour, multiple choice test licensing test required by most child life specialist employers. Candidates must have taken and passed at least ten college level courses in child life and development and must have completed at least 480 clinical hours to sit for the exam. Those who pass the exam receive a five year certification and are officially licensed child life specialists.