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Child Life Assistant Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Child Life Specialist

Boston, MA · On-site

$53K - $77K/yr

POSITION SUMMARY: The Child Life Specialist is responsible and accountable for planning and ... Provides individualized therapeutic interventions to assist with support of emotional, cognitive ...

Child Life Specialist

Cleveland, OH · On-site

$18.88 - $28.80/hr

As a Child Life Specialist, you will be working with patients and families to communicate with our ... * Assist patients and families with relaxation techniques to decrease stress, increase coping ...

As a Child Life Specialist, you will be working with patients and families to communicate with our ... * Assist patients and families with relaxation techniques to decrease stress, increase coping ...

Child Life Specialist

Cleveland, OH · On-site

$18.88 - $28.80/hr

As a Child Life Specialist, you will be working with patients and families to communicate with our ... * Assist patients and families with relaxation techniques to decrease stress, increase coping ...

Child Life Specialist

Abilene, TX · On-site

$25.20 - $30/hr

Child Life Specialist Relocation Allowance Available! Join Our Multidisciplinary Team and Make a ... Assistants • Behavioral Health Finance & Accounting - Audit, Operations & CFO (Assurance ...

Overview The Child Life Specialist works to meet the psychosocial needs of patients and families by ... Must take initiative to serve the needs of patients and assist fellow team members.

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Child Life Assistant information

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How much do child life assistant jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 6, 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.

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.

What are Child Life Assistants?

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.
What cities are hiring for Child Life Assistant jobs? Cities with the most Child Life Assistant job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Child Life jobs? The most popular types of Child Life jobs are:
What states have the most Child Life Assistant jobs? States with the most job openings for Child Life Assistant jobs include:
Infographic showing various Child Life Assistant job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 93% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 98% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $34,809 per year, or $16.7 per hour.
Child Life Specialist

Child Life Specialist

Boston Medical Center

Boston, MA • On-site

$53K - $77K/yr

Part-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 10 days ago


Boston Medical Center rating

7.0

Company rating: 7.0 out of 10

Based on 105 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

472nd of 993 rated hospitals


Job description

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Child Life Specialist is responsible and accountable for planning and implementing therapeutic activities and programs to meet psychosocial and developmental needs and facilitates the adjustment of children and their families to health care experiences. Responsibilities include program development the assigned clinical area, management of fiscal and human resources and collaboration with the multidisciplinary team.
Position: Child Life Specialist
Department: Child Life
Schedule: 16 Hours (Days)
16 Hours a week - Day time hours (8 hour shifts)
This position will be for clinical coverage within the inpatient pediatric unit/pediatric intensive care unit. Coverage will also include consults in additional areas of the hospital as needed.
The Child Life Specialist ensures that comprehensive services are provided to minimize the negative impact of trauma illness and hospitalization by addressing the emotional cognitive and developmental needs of patients and families throughout their healthcare experience.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES:
  • Seeking experienced Certified Child Life Specialist -pursuing an innovational role and approach to care.
  • Assists patients and families in coping with illness and hospitalization.
  • Comfort with diversity, an array of illnesses and diagnosis as well as cultures.
  • Comfort with all developmental ages ranging infancy through young adult.
  • Strong interpersonal skillset with the ability to be flexible and multitask throughout the duration of shifts.
  • Ability to prioritize, take initiative, and be self-motivated.
  • Resourcefulness while providing developmentally appropriate preparation and education to patients and families regarding their healthcare experiences.
  • Documents and maintains updated patient information pertaining to services provided.
  • Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team in an effort to support a family centered care approach to services.
  • Provides individualized therapeutic interventions to assist with support of emotional, cognitive, and developmental needs.
  • Normalizes environment to reduce impact of healthcare experiences on development and coping.
  • Provides legacy and bereavement support for patients and families encountering grief as needed.
  • Provides program development for the assigned clinical area.
  • Maintains an appropriate, safe and supportive environment for children and families in the patient care setting.
  • Participates in meetings included but not limited to; patient care rounding, unit(s) meetings and child life staff meeting.
  • Works alongside manager and child life staff pertaining to donations, budget for resources and supply needs.
  • Participates in volunteer and student training, support and supervision.
  • Adheres to infection control policy set forth by institution.
  • Preferred strong knowledge of hospital practices, procedures and medical terminology.

JOB REQUIREMENTS
EDUCATION:
  • Baccalaureate degree in Child Life or closely related field. Experience preferred. Requires completion of a Child Life Internship (600 hours) under the direct supervision of a Child Life Specialist and is eligible and passes certification exam within 6 months of hire.
  • Baccalaureate degree in child life or closely related field.
  • Masters Preferred.
  • Completion of a child life internship (600 hours) under the direct supervision of a child life specialist Required.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED:
Certification as a child life specialist within 6 months of hire.
EXPERIENCE:
Experience preferred.
An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Compensation Range:
$53,000.00- $77,000.00
This range offers an estimate based on the minimum job qualifications. However, our approach to determining base pay is comprehensive, and a broad range of factors is considered when making an offer. This includes education, experience, skills, and certifications/licensures as they directly relate to position requirements; as well as business/organizational needs, internal equity, and market-competitiveness. In addition, BMCHS offers generous total compensation that includes, but is not limited to, benefits (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy), discretionary annual bonuses and merit increases, Flexible Spending Accounts, 403(b) savings matches, paid time off, career advancement opportunities, and resources to support employee and family well-being.
NOTE: This range is based on Boston-area data, and is subject to modification based on geographic location.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans
According to the FTC, there has been a rise in employment offer scams. Our current job openings are listed on our website and applications are received only through our website. We do not ask or require downloads of any applications, or "apps" job offers are not extended over text messages or social media platforms. We do not ask individuals to purchase equipment for or prior to employment.

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About Boston Medical Center

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Boston Medical Center (BMC) is more than a hospital. It's a network of support and care that touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in need each year. It is the largest and busiest provider of trauma and emergency services in New England. Emphasizing community-based care, BMC is committed to providing consistently excellent and accessible health services to all-and is the largest safety-net hospital in New England. The hospital is also the primary teaching affiliate of the nationally ranked Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and a founding partner of Boston HealthNet - an integrated health care delivery systems that includes many community health centers. Join BMC today and help us achieve our Vision 2030 which is a long-term goal to make Boston the healthiest urban population in the world.

Industry

Hospitals

Company size

1,001 - 5,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Boston, MA, US

Year founded

1996