Child Life Internship Program

Now Accepting Applications for Winter/Spring 2026

Program Description

The Hoops Family Children's Hospital Child Life Internship Program offers a unique opportunity for future child life specialists to work with pediatric patients within an academic medical setting.

The Hoops Family Children's Hospital (HFCH) is a 72-bed children's hospital within Cabell Huntington Hospital, a 303-bed academic medical center in Huntington, West Virginia. Cabell Huntington is affiliated with the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and cares for patients from more than 29 counties throughout West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and southern Ohio.

Our hospital has a 25-bed Pediatric Unit, a 10-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and a 36-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). We are a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center, have a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Infusion Center, a Pediatric Craniofacial Clinic, a Neonatal Therapeutic Unit (NTU) for infants born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), and a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) to support children who have experienced abuse.

Our Child Life program currently has two full-time Certified Child Life Specialists and one Board-Certified Music Therapist.

We currently provide Child Life Services to the following areas within our facility:

• Pediatric Unit
• PICU
• Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Infusion Center
• Outpatient Surgery
• Outpatient Radiology
• Emergency Department (including pediatric traumas)
• NICU
• NTU, children of adult patients and Child Advocacy Center (by consultation)

The Child Life Department at Hoops Family Children’s Hospital offers a 15-week, 600-hour, comprehensive, competency-based child life internship program at the undergraduate and graduate level. Students are given opportunities to develop clinical skills in assessment, intervention, and play for the hospitalized child, and professional skills with interdisciplinary staff. The program goal is to equip students with a solid foundation to begin a career in child life.

If you are interested, please complete the Common Internship Application. In order to give all applicants proper consideration, all applications must be submitted by the deadline date recommended by the Association of Child Life Professionals. No late applications will be considered. Please email all items to childlifeinternship@chhi.org by no later than Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.

Requirements to Apply

To be accepted for consideration, the applicant must: 

1.  Be currently affiliated with a College or University.
2.  Present a completed Eligibility Assessment from the Association of Child Life Professionals
3.  Demonstrate commitment to a 600-hour, 15-week, full-time internship. Work days and hours will vary. Some nights and weekends may be required.
4.  Acknowledge that if accepted, your College or University will be required to enter into a contractual agreement with Marshall Health Network before the scheduled start date.
5.  Up to two courses in progress forms will be considered for each candidate at the time of application. Courses must be passed in good standing for an applicant to be accepted into the internship program.

Application Process

Applicants who meet the above requirements must submit an application to the Hoops Family Children’s Hospital Internship Committee to be considered for an interview.

What are the Components of the Internship Readiness Common Application?

The Internship Readiness Common Application is composed of the following three items:

• In-progress or completed Eligibility Assessment
• Internship Readiness Common Application Fillable PDF
• Unofficial transcripts

Application Deadlines

Hoops Family Children’s Hospital Child Life Program follows current Association of Child Life Professionals guidelines for internship offer and acceptance dates. Please refer to the Association of Child Life Professionals for current dates.

The Winter/Spring 2026 application cycle deadline is Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.

Interview

An interview is required for internship selection. You may be contacted for an interview after all application materials have been reviewed. On-site interviews will include a tour of the hospital that will allow you to determine whether our facility and program match your learning goals. If it is not possible to arrange an on-site interview, one may be conducted via video conferencing.

Please Note:

This is an unpaid internship. The Hoops Family Children’s Hospital Child Life Program does not offer a stipend. The Child Life intern will be responsible for their transportation, meals, and housing. Completion of the internship does not guarantee passing of the certification exam or future employment with this institution.

Please direct any questions to the Child Life Department by calling 304.526.2137 or emailing chhchildlife@mhnetwork.org. You will receive a courtesy email confirming receipt of your application, and whether or not it was complete and will be considered.