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Child Life Assistant Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Shriners Children's

Child Life Assistant

Greenville, SC · On-site

$16.34 - $24.51/hr

The Child Life Assistant's main area of focus is providing a developmentally supportive playroom for patients and families. Development is encouraged by the child life assistant through the planning ...

Shrinerschildrens

Child Life Assistant

Greenville, SC · On-site

The Child Life Assistant assist in the maintenance of a safe patient care environment by cleaning and maintaining playroom toys and equipment and participates in special events, outings, and other ...

Imh

Child Life Assistant PRN

Lehi, UT · On-site

$21.02 - $29.72/hr

The Child Life Assistant Interacts directly with pediatric patients, families, and other healthcare team members and facilitates age-appropriate activities to help make the healthcare experience ...

New

MUSC

Child Life Assistant

Charleston, SC · On-site

Summary To provide assistance in pediatric patient care services under the direction of the Child Life Manager. Entity Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA) Worker Type Employee Worker Sub ...

TH Medical

Child Life Assistant

Detroit, MI

Under general supervision and guidance of the Child Life staff, plans and conducts activity programs to reduce patient and family stress. Provides appropriate play environment where patients and ...

TH Medical

Child Life Assistant

Detroit, MI · On-site

Under general supervision and guidance of the Child Life staff, plans and conducts activity programs to reduce patient and family stress. Provides appropriate play environment where patients and ...

Imh

Child Life Specialist Kids Clubhouse

Lehi, UT

$24.30 - $37.52/hr

You will work closely with our child life assistant who runs this space supporting programming, therapeutic interventions, and volunteer oversight. Required Qualifications * Bachelor's degree.

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Child Life Assistant information

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How much do child life assistant jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 3, 2026, the average hourly pay for child life assistant in the United States is $16.74, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.42 and $18.03 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a child life assistant?

Child Life Assistants are healthcare professionals who support Child Life Specialists in helping children and families cope with hospitalization, illness, and medical procedures. They assist in providing therapeutic play, activities, and emotional support to pediatric patients. Their role includes preparing play materials, interacting with children, maintaining a safe play environment, and supporting the psychosocial needs of young patients. Child Life Assistants work in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings to make the hospital experience less stressful for children.

What does a child life assistant do?

The job duties of a child life assistant involve providing support for children and their families when they are in a hospital or receiving inpatient medical care in a healthcare facility. Your responsibilities in this career include planning activities for a patient based on their interests, physical abilities, and psychological and social needs. You may involve therapeutic play that is meant to reduce stress and give patients, parents, and siblings normal interactions and experiences while they are in a hospital setting. As a child life assistant, you may also distribute donations of toys and coordinate volunteers and celebrity visits.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a child life assistant, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Child Life Assistant, you need a background in child development or a related field, often accompanied by relevant coursework or experience in pediatric care settings. Familiarity with hospital protocols, educational play tools, and documentation systems is typically required. Compassion, patience, and strong communication skills help build trust with children and support collaboration with healthcare teams. These abilities are crucial for providing emotional support, reducing anxiety, and ensuring a positive experience for young patients in medical environments.

How does a child life assistant typically collaborate with child life specialists and healthcare teams to support pediatric patients?

Child Life Assistants work closely with Child Life Specialists and other healthcare professionals to create a supportive environment for children in medical settings. They help implement therapeutic play activities, prepare materials, and assist with distraction techniques during procedures. Regular communication and teamwork with nurses, doctors, and Child Life Specialists are essential to ensure the emotional and developmental needs of pediatric patients are met. This collaborative approach helps provide holistic care and enhances the overall hospital experience for children and their families.
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Child Life Assistant jobs near you
Infographic showing various Child Life Assistant job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 79% Full Time, 16% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 94% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $34,809 per year, or $16.7 per hour.

Child Life Assistant

Shriners Children's

Greenville, SC • On-site

$16.34 - $24.51/hr

Per diem

Re-posted 11 days ago

Shriners Children's rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 45 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

137th of 1,065 rated hospitals

Job description

Company Overview
Shriners Children's is an organization that respects, supports, and values each other. Named as the 2025 best mid-sized employer by Forbes, we are engaged in providing excellence in patient care, embracing multi-disciplinary education, and research with global impact. We foster a learning environment that values evidenced based practice, experience, innovation, and critical thinking. Our compassion, integrity, accountability, and resilience define us as leaders in pediatric specialty care for our children and their families.
With 20+ hospitals, outpatient clinics, ambulatory care centers and outreach locations across the globe, we provide excellent care to children up to age 18 regardless of their family's ability to pay or insurance status. Please click here to learn more about our locations.
Job Description
The Child Life Assistant's main area of focus is providing a developmentally supportive playroom for patients and families. Development is encouraged by the child life assistant through the planning and implementation of creative activities. The Child Life Assistant assist in the maintenance of a safe patient care environment by cleaning and maintaining playroom toys and equipment and participates in special events, outings, and other child life supported programming. The Child Life Assistant will also be responsible for assisting the child life staff with various duties such as managing donations, orientating and organizing volunteers, and other non-patient care related tasks.
Key Responsibilities:
Plans, coordinates, and implements all group and individual activities/projects that are developmentally appropriate
  • Maintains playroom, keeping area organized, clean and safe.
  • Assists Child Life and Hospital staff to ensure services are provided to children throughout hospital setting.
  • Responds appropriately to requests from families and staff requests for patient needs in and outside of the playroom setting.
  • Selects and provides activities (toys, games, crafts) for patients restricted to bed rest according to interests, capabilities, and needs.
  • Communicates pertinent information to Child Life Staff and other hospital staff.

Possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities to positively impact the hospitalization of children.
  • Demonstrates proficiency in selecting the most developmentally and age appropriate interventions.
  • Understands and applies the stages of human growth and development to clinical practice.
  • Communicates at a developmentally appropriate level with patients and their families.
  • Incorporates and facilitates positive family interaction during individual and group sessions as appropriate.
  • Values the patient's family member as the constant in the patient's life, respecting their opinions and listening to their concerns.
  • Recognizes family strengths and respects different methods of coping.
  • Advocates for patients and families when necessary as appropriate.
  • Assists child life staff in promotion, planning and implementation of therapeutic outings, burn camp responsibilities and special events.
  • Educates patients on skin care techniques and makeup application.

Department Duties
  • Contributes to departmental record keeping and Quality Assurance plans.
  • Assists in inventory control, ordering supplies, and storage of supplies.
  • Helps to manage the donations received by the department.
  • Adheres to Infection Control Policy and Procedures and all Child Life Department and Hospital Policies and Procedures.

Assists in the organization of playroom schedule and structure, including scheduling volunteers
  • Assists with orienting and supervising Child Life volunteers.
  • Demonstrates effective communication between Child Life Staff and volunteer staff.
  • Effectively handles the needs of visitors to the department.

Demonstrates professional behavior when interacting with patients, families, and coworkers
  • Communicates effectively with patients, families and staff to identify patient care needs.
  • Works appropriately with persons of diverse social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds.
  • Maintains professional boundaries with patients and families.
  • Knows and recognizes limitations as a child life assistant
  • Separates personal issues from interactions with patients, families, and staff and seeks supervision when necessary.

Builds collaborative relationships with leadership, medical staff, peers, and hospital staff.
Actively supports all department and hospital policies.
Actively supports patient safety initiatives. Responds and acts on safety recommendations.
Required Qualifications:
  • Relevant Associate's Degree
  • BLS certification or obtained within 3 months
  • 1 year of related work experience
  • Excellent computer, communication, organizational, prioritization and telephone skills
  • Availability to work on the weekends

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Bilingual preferred
The pay range for this position is $16.34 - $24.51. Compensation is determined based on years of relevant experience and departmental equity.

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