Hemby Children's Child Life internship-fellowship program
The Novant Health Hemby Children's Child Life Internship-Fellowship is accredited by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) and provides an immersive 16-month experience designed to prepare future child life specialists for successful clinical practice.
This unique program combines a traditional 16-week child life internship with a paid, year-long fellowship, allowing you to continue developing your clinical skills while transitioning into an entry-level Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS I) role.
About our internship-fellowship program
The Child Life Internship-Fellowship is offered once a year in Charlotte, NC, and includes:
- A full-time, 16-week child life internship (40 hours per week)
- A paid, 12-month Child Life Fellowship following successful completion of the internship
- A 16-month professional development experience from internship through fellowship
- An internship stipend to assist with living expenses during your internship
- Clinical experiences across a variety of inpatient and outpatient pediatric settings
- Two primary internship rotations with progressive responsibility from observation to independent practice
- Weekly supervision, educational seminars, and reflective learning opportunities
- Individualized mentorship and professional development
- Preparation for the Child Life Certification Exam and transition into professional practice
During your fellowship
- Continue to strengthen your clinical skills while expanding child life services across Hemby Children's
- Receive ongoing supervision, mentorship and educational opportunities while practicing as an entry-level Child Life Specialist
- You should be flexible with scheduling, including occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays
Eligibility
You must meet the following requirements to apply:
- Be a college senior or college graduate with a strong academic background in child development or a closely related field
- Hold or be pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in child life, child development, or a closely related field, preference will be given to applicants pursuing or holding a master's degree
- Complete at least 100 hours of volunteer or paid experience working with children in individual or group settings
- Complete at least 100 hours of pre-internship experience under the direct supervision of a Certified Child Life Specialist in a healthcare setting
- Successfully complete the Association of Child Life Professionals Eligibility Assessment with documentation of all required coursework
- Receive academic credit through a Novant Health-affiliated university. The affiliation agreement must be established before the application deadline and remain active throughout the internship
Application timeline for the Winter/Spring 2027 internship session
We encourage you to submit your applications as early as possible.
- Application opens: Monday, August 3, 2026 (Application will close after first 50 applications are received*)
- Application deadline: Friday, September 4, 2026
- Initial offer date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
- Acceptance date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
* Note: To provide a comprehensive review of each applicant, we will review the first 50 applications received in the ACLP application cycle. Once 50 eligible applications are received, we will close the application period, even if the published application deadline has not passed.
How to apply
We accept the Association of Child Life Professional’s Common Application.
Email your completed application to Hemby@NovantHealth.Org. Include your name and the name of the academic institution you are affiliated with in the subject line.