Demo

Child Life Specialist

Corewell Health
Grand Rapids, MI Full Time
POSTED ON 1/7/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 2/6/2026

Job Summary

Responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating individual and group child life services provided to patients through Helen DeVos Children's Hospital (HDVCH) in a manner which promotes age appropriate growth and development. Provides diversional and therapeutic play activities and collaborates with the multidisciplinary team to provide an integrated approach.

Essential Functions

  • Provides developmentally based therapeutic interventions for pediatric patients and families which support coping skills, medical insights and socialization.
  • Assesses educational needs of patients and families; develops, implements, evaluates and revises educational programs such as in-services and team communication as well as provides tools which assist multidisciplinary team members in meeting the needs of pediatric patients and families.
  • Acts as an active member of the Child Life Team providing on-going insight, planning and evaluation of a comprehensive Child Life program by attending and participating in regular staff meetings and through committee involvement.
  • Documents care and teaching provided consistent with documentation guidelines.
  • Coordinates events, projects, and programs that support the needs of patients and families as determined by the area(s) of responsibility.
  • Maintains professional competencies in the child life field through involvement with attending conferences, reading journals and participation in Child Life Council.
  • Develops a work plan to direct services provided by child life to direct services provided by the Child Life Assistant, interns and volunteers.

Qualifications

  • Required Bachelor's Degree child life, child development, child psychology, early childhood education, recreational therapy or related degree
  • Completion of a 600-hour Child Life Internship Required
  • CRT-Child Life Specialist (CCLS) - CLCC Child Life Certification Commission 1 Year required
  • CRT-Basic Life Support (BLS) - AHA American Heart Association 90 Days required Or
  • CRT-Basic Life Support (BLS) - ARC American Red Cross 90 Days required

    Physical Demands

    • Pallet to Waist (6" from floor) > 5 lbs: Seldom up to 50 lbs
    • Waist to Waist > 5 lbs: Seldom up to 50 lbs
    • Waist to Chest (below shoulder) > 5 lbs: Seldom up to 10 lbs
    • Waist to Overhead > 5 lbs: Seldom up to 5 lbs
    • Bilateral Carry > 5 lbs: Seldom up to 25 lbs
    • Unilateral Carry > 5 lbs: Seldom up to 10 lbs
    • Pushing Force > 5 lbs: Occasionally up to 25 lbs
    • Pulling Force > 5 lbs: Occasionally up to 20 lbs
    • Sitting: Occasionally
    • Standing: Frequently
    • Walking: Frequently
    • Forward Bend - Standing: Occasionally
    • Forward Bend - Sitting: Occasionally
    • Trunk Rotation - Standing: Occasionally
    • Trunk Rotation - Sitting: Occasionally
    • Squat: Seldom
    • Stair Climbing: Seldom
    • Crawling / Kneeling: Seldom
    • Driving: Seldom
    • Reach - Above Shoulder: Occasionally
    • Reach - at Shoulder or Below: Occasionally
    • Handling: Occasionally
    • Forceful Grip > 5 lbs: Occasionally
    • Forceful Pinch > 2 lbs: Occasionally
    • Finger/Hand Dexterity: Frequently
    • Visual Acuity ¹
      [None = No; Seldom = Yes]: Seldom

    How Corewell Health cares for you

    • Comprehensive benefits package to meet your financial, health, and work/life balance goals. Learn more here.

    • On-demand pay program powered by Payactiv

    • Discounts directory with deals on the things that matter to you, like restaurants, phone plans, spas, and more!

    • Optional identity theft protection, home and auto insurance, pet insurance

    • Traditional and Roth retirement options with service contribution and match savings

    • Eligibility for benefits is determined by employment type and status

    Primary Location

    SITE - Butterworth Hospital - 100 Michigan St - Grand Rapids

    Department Name

    Child and Family Life - GR

    Employment Type

    Full time

    Shift

    Day (United States of America)

    Weekly Scheduled Hours

    40

    Hours of Work

    Days Worked

    Weekend Frequency

    CURRENT COREWELL HEALTH TEAM MEMBERS – Please apply through Find Jobs from your Workday team member account. This career site is for Non-Corewell Health team members only.

    Corewell Health is committed to providing a safe environment for our team members, patients, visitors, and community. We require a drug-free workplace and require team members to comply with the MMR, Varicella, Tdap, and Influenza vaccine requirement if in an on-site or hybrid workplace category. We are committed to supporting prospective team members who require reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application process, to perform the essential functions of a job, or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment due to a disability, pregnancy, or sincerely held religious belief.

    Corewell Health grants equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, religion, genetic information, marital status, height, weight, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other legally protected category.

    An interconnected, collaborative culture where all are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work, is vital to the health of our organization. As a health system, we advocate for equity as we care for our patients, our communities, and each other. From workshops that develop cultural intelligence, to our inclusion resource groups for people to find community and empowerment at work, we are dedicated to ongoing resources that advance our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that we do. We invite those that share in our commitment to join our team.

    You may request assistance in completing the application process by calling 616.486.7447.

    Salary.com Estimation for Child Life Specialist in Grand Rapids, MI
    $55,342 to $69,358
    If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
    Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

    What is the career path for a Child Life Specialist?

    Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Child Life Specialist career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
    Income Estimation: 
    $54,661 - $68,360
    Income Estimation: 
    $100,273 - $152,370
    Income Estimation: 
    $54,661 - $68,360
    Income Estimation: 
    $100,273 - $152,370

    Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs with skills like those required for the Child Life Specialist.

    Click the checkbox next to the jobs that you are interested in.

    • Children's Activities Skill

      • Income Estimation: $50,588 - $84,039
      • Income Estimation: $52,901 - $76,745
    • Family Support Skill

      • Income Estimation: $61,613 - $78,097
      • Income Estimation: $97,113 - $125,332
    View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

    Job openings at Corewell Health

    • Corewell Health Grand Rapids, MI
    • We are excited to be offering a Weekend Only Program for RNs! Eligibility: RNs in inpatient nursing settings with 24/7 scheduling are included. 0.9 FTE wou... more
    • 14 Days Ago

    • Corewell Health Grand Rapids, MI
    • $3,000 Sign On Bonus Available Provides clinical support to health care professionals to ensure the delivery of quality health care services. Practice Over... more
    • 14 Days Ago

    • Corewell Health Grand Rapids, MI
    • Corewell Health is offering a $3,000 sign-on bonus for this opportunity! Sign-On Bonus for External applicants or current CHW MA Apprentice Students only P... more
    • 14 Days Ago

    • Corewell Health Grand Rapids, MI
    • The Plastic Surgery section at Corewell Health is recruiting a new physician to join Dr. Ronald Ford and develop a reconstructive microsurgery section. Thi... more
    • 14 Days Ago


    Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Child Life Specialist jobs in the Grand Rapids, MI area that may be a better fit.

    • Corewell Health Grand Rapids, MI
    • About the Team Our Child and Family Life Team provides developmentally based therapeutic interventions for pediatric patients and families which support co... more
    • 28 Days Ago

    • Corewell Health Grand Rapids, MI
    • About the Team Our Child and Family Life Team provides developmentally based therapeutic interventions for pediatric patients and families which support co... more
    • 6 Days Ago

    AI Assistant is available now!

    Feel free to start your new journey!