Child Life Specialists

The employment outlook for child life specialists is very favorable. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that most hospitals specializing in pediatric care have child life programs, with more than 400 hospitals in North America having such a program. Child life services are recommended and provided to different degrees in community hospitals with pediatric units, ambulatory clinics, and emergency departments. In addition, the number of these programs has doubled since 1965. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that employment for healthcare social workers (a related career) will grow by 17 percent from 2018 to 2028, or much faster than the average for all careers. Job opportunities for child, family, and school social workers are expected to grow faster than the average during this same time span.