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AI summary
Full-time Child Life Specialist role providing psychosocial, educational and play-based support to hospitalized and outpatient children and their families. You’ll join Valley Children’s Healthcare, a large pediatric healthcare network and stand-alone children’s hospital in Central California. Standout perk: broad scope across hospital units with structured, family-centered child life services (playroom, bedside activities, procedure prep and grief support).
Key skills
Child life assessment and care planningProcedure and surgery preparation/supportTherapeutic and recreational play facilitationPatient/family education (illness, hospital, treatment)Grief and bereavement supportInterdisciplinary collaboration with medical teamsCCLS certification (within 12 months of hire)600-hour child life internship completionBilingual communication (preferred)
Pays $28.90–$42.95 per hour (final rate based on skills/experience) for a full-time 40-hour role in Madera, CA.
You'll thrive here if you’re a child life-trained clinician who enjoys collaborating across hospital units to support children’s developmental and emotional needs through education, play, and coping interventions.
Why apply
Central California’s stand-alone children’s hospital
Wide variety of pediatric specialties
Dedicated playroom and activities spaces
About Us
The Child Life Department, comprised of specialists, assistants, a coordinator, and a music therapist, helps children understand and cope with medical experiences. Focusing on developmental needs, Child Life provides education, play and emotional support for patients and their families. Child Life Specialists are assigned to cover various areas throughout the hospital. As part of the medical team, Child Life Specialists collaborate with staff within the hospital to help meet the needs of the patient. Some of the services include: Illness, hospital, and treatment education Surgery and procedure preparation and support Therapeutic and recreation play activities Coordinate special events, entertainment and activities Grief and bereavement support Child Life Assistants oversee the Playroom and George’s Clubhouse which help children do what they do best: play! In these spaces– away from medical tests and procedures – children can enjoy arts, crafts, music, games, reading, movies and video games. The Playroom also hosts events like Bingo, holiday events, music programs, as well as special guests. Bedside activities are available to children unable to come to the Playroom. Job Summary: This position is accountable for the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of care plans to provide for the psychosocial, behavioral, recreational, and educational needs of hospitalized and/or outpatient children. The incumbent is accountable for a defined patient population based upon the child's age and developmental needs for a designated period of time. Qualifications: Education College Degree - 4 year Child Life or related field of study (required) Masters Degree (preferred) Licenses and Certifications CCLS - Certified Child Life Specialist - CLCC - Child Life Certification Commission within 12 months of hire or transfer into position (required) Or Other - Other Completion of 600-hour internship prior to start (required) Skills and Abilities Bilingual Skills Preferred. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Compensation Range: $28.90 - $42.95 Workshift: Position Exempt: No FTE %: 100 Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40 Daily Hours: 8 Have Questions? Call Recruitment Services at or email us at Disclaimer: Final compensation will be dependent upon skills and experience. Valley Children’s Healthcare – one of the largest pediatric healthcare networks in the nation – provides Central California’s only high-quality, comprehensive care exclusively for children, from before birth to young adulthood. With more than 670 physicians and 3,500 staff, Valley Children’s delivers high-quality, comprehensive care to more than 1.3 million children in our service area. Our network offers highly specialized medical and surgical services to care for children with conditions ranging from common to the highly complex at our 358-bed stand-alone children’s hospital that includes 28 regional NICU beds. Our family-centered, pediatric services extend from a leading pediatric cancer and blood disorders center home on the West Coast, and a pediatric heart center known for its expertise and pioneering treatments, to a Regional Level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the highest level referral center between Los Angeles and the Bay Area. We participate in community initiatives, we support community efforts, we get involved where we can do the most good.
