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Linda Skinner
Chief, Child Life & School Services; Coordinator, Child Life, Centre Wide
IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS
 Linda Skinner is a consummate leader. In 2009, she received the Children’s Miracle Network Achievement Award for a lifetime of service and “significant contributions to the overall practice and directions of Child Life Services throughout Canada and the United States”. This prestigious award, along with the Child Life Council’s Distinguished Service Award in 1997 for “furthering the development of the child life profession” reflect her unwavering commitment to the profession of Child Life and ultimately the lives of children and families.
Linda’s primary goal is to ensure the needs of children and families in hospital are “the primary focus” at the IWK Health Centre. Everything she does, every component of her work as the Chief of Child Life, as a clinician, as a researcher and as an educator is related to making certain the lives of children and families are improved and made easier by the services we provide. She has always practiced and trained others to understand what it means to practice “true family-centred care”.
Linda is an internationally recognized leader. She has been integral in the promotion and development of the child life profession. This is demonstrated by her involvement with the Canadian Association of Child Life Leaders, the former Association for the Care of Children’s Health, the Child Life Council and her new passion, The Canadian Child Life Institute. She has contributed to publications, has been a consultant in developing new child life programs, an educator and a researcher. She has nourished and supported leadership development in individuals by encouraging participation in program development, committee involvement, independent decision making and research. Through her volunteer work as a Committee Member, a Board Member and/or consultant, Linda continues to be a mentor and advance the profession.
Her background as a teacher is evident in her never ending desire to teach administrators, staff, health professionals, children, families and the community at large about anything related to helping children and families cope and flourish during stressful events. She is a regular presenter at Child Life Council Conference, has developed university courses (for Mount St. Vincent University 2002, and McMaster University’s Child Life Online Program) and has been a Plenary Speaker as far away as New Zealand.
Linda has led the way in developing and/or supporting the development of innovative programs and services in the Maritimes, and in fact in North America. Here are some examples:
- First hospital-developed Child Life Internship Program in Canada, IWK, 1992
- First Child Life undergraduate course in the Maritimes, 2002
- Redevelopment of the Playgarden for outdoor play programming, IWK, 1988
- One of the first Family Resource Libraries for paediatric families, IWK,1991
- TV2U- a video lending program, IWK
- TV4U- closed circuit television for all inpatient paediatric rooms,1981, IWK
- Hospital travelling suitcase- suitcase filled with child friendly materials to help children become familiar with hospital equipment, 1978, adapted over time, IWK
- CLAIP- Child Life Assessment and Intervention Plan, 1989, 2002
- Child life consultant to Canadian Association for Health Services Accreditation
- Within ACCH Atlantic Affiliate, helped in the development and implementation of the travelling workshops “Creating Supportive Environments for Child and Families in Hospital” to eight Nova Scotia hospitals sponsored by ACCH, 1992
Linda’s leadership and commitment to child life is enhanced by her ability to see the humour and joy in life. Her capacity to tell stories, share the history of the profession and enjoy the important things in life is at the core of this wonderful leader.
Submitted by Chantal LeBlanc, Child Life Specialist, IWK Health Centre; Upedia Ambassador, Canadian Child Life Institute. March 2010.
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