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Child Life Fellowship Program

Thank you for your interest in a Child Life fellowship at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children. The child life fellows work in conjunction with more than a dozen Child Life Specialists to provide psychosocial support to pediatric inpatients and outpatient. This includes providing normalizing playroom and bedside activities, procedural preparations and support, sibling support, bereavement support, and teaching positive coping techniques.

A Child Life fellowship is another opportunity for learning and growing as a Child Life specialist once a 480-hour Child Life internship has been completed and the candidate is eligible for certification. A fellowship gives the new Child Life professional a chance to improve their Child Life skills before entering the workforce as a full time CCLS as well as a chance to increase knowledge of the medical field in general including diagnoses, procedures, value of a multidisciplinary team, and many others. Each fellow is supervised by a designated certified Child Life specialist, but the fellow is also given more independence and responsibility than when supervised during an internship. The child life fellowship is a paid, fully-benefited position. Fellows are also encouraged to attend conferences and symposiums pertinent to the Child Life field.

The fellowship is a year-long position that consists of 2 fellows who work the hours of 1 to 9 p.m., five days a week. One position covers PICU, General Pediatrics, and Infectious Diseases (1) and the other position covers Hem/Onc, Surgical, and Adolescents (2). The (2) fellow works Sunday through Thursday and the (1) fellow works Tuesday through Saturday. Our fellows are involved in staff planning and development, volunteer training and supervision, a weekly Pet Therapy session, and many other aspects of the hospital and Child Life Department.

Application Process and Requirements

We accept applications each August for fellowships beginning the following calendar year. For example, applications may be submitted beginning August 2008 for 2009 fellowships. Requirements include:

• Resume and cover sheet
• Copy of all college transcripts (originals preferred)
• Minimum GPA of 3.0
• Recommendation Letter #1 from your Child Life internship supervisor
• Recommendation Letter #2 from someone who can accurately assess your work with children & families
• Essay answering the following questions:
  1. Why do you wish to complete a Child Life Fellowship?
  2. What goals would you like to accomplish as a fellow?

Please contact Holly Senn at 703-776-3968, or by email holly.senn@inova.org for specific due dates or if you have questions.

*Phone interviews are permitted, but an on-site interview is required before an offer will be extended. This is to make it fair to both you & our staff.

*Please let your references know that they may be contacted by phone for further information.

*Please indicate in your cover letter which position you would prefer to be considered for and why.

Please return the completed application materials to:

Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children
Holly Senn – Child Life Department
3300 Gallows Road
Falls Church, VA  22042

Phone:  703-776-3968

If possible please send the application materials Priority Mail or Express Mail to avoid delays that may occur with the regular mail system.