{"id":1,"name":"irwin","url":"http:\/\/The%20Elman","description":"Irwin Elman - Bio\r\n\r\nIn October 2007, the Ontario Child Advocate (the Advocate\u2019s Office) was established with the passage of Bill 165 by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. On July 14th, 2008, an all-party panel appointed Irwin Elman as the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth to provide leadership to the Advocate\u2019s Office \u2013 the first independent office of its kind in Ontario \u2013 to amplify the voices of children and youth in its mandate.\r\n \r\nUp until April 30, 2019, the Advocate\u2019s Office worked to make sure young people knew their rights, their opinions were taken into account in matters that concerned them and their voices were heard. The Office\u2019s advocacy aimed to ensure young people were at the centre of all services provided to them and decisions made about them.\r\n \r\nDrawing on the strength of young people, the Advocate\u2019s Office worked to fill the gap between what government, service providers and policy-makers intend, and the reality experienced by some of the most vulnerable children and youth in Ontario. \r\n \r\nIrwin brings an extensive background as an educator, counsellor, youth worker, program manager, policy developer and child and youth advocate to the position \u2013borrowing from the courage and hope of the young people he served to create innovative approaches for others in Ontario, Jamaica, Hungary and Japan. Prior to becoming the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, Irwin was the Manager of the Pape Adolescent Resource Centre in Toronto (PARC), an award-winning organization that supports young people as they leave child welfare care,for more than 20 years. He later served as the Director of Client Service at Central Toronto Youth Services, a children\u2019s mental health centre.\r\n \r\nIrwin obtained his Master of Education and Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Honours) in political science from Carleton University. He received an Honorary Degree from Guelph-Humber University. \r\n\r\nRecently Irwin received the \u201cJanus Korczak Award\u201d from the Janus Korczak Association of Canada. He was made an \u201cHonorary Member\u201d of the Canadian Pediatric Society. He received the \u201cAdvocate of the Year\u201d  from the North American Adoption Council. He was awarded the \u201cStand Up For Kids Award\u201d by the Children\u2019s Aid Foundation of Canada. \r\n\r\nIrwin currently resides in Toronto with his wife and two young sons.\r\n \r\nNoteworthy Reports:\r\nThe ideas and lived experiences of children and youth under the Advocate\u2019s mandate are captured in a number of reports written by young people, most notably My REAL Life Book (based on the landmark Youth Leaving Care Hearings); Feathers of Hope: A First Nations Youth Action Plan (based on the voices of 100 First Nations youth); The Ultimate Health Rights Survival Guide (a step-by-step guide on the health rights of youth); It Depends Who's Working: A Systemic Review of Secure Isolation in Ontario Youth Facilities; and the Blueprint for Fundamental Change to Ontario's Child Welfare System (prepared by the Youth Leaving Care Working Group, a partnership between the Advocate\u2019s Office and the ministry)","link":"https:\/\/theelman.com\/index.php\/author\/irwin\/","slug":"irwin","avatar_urls":{"24":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8a7fdf46a851bce8a52d512322c9272eeceeaf403030aa79e28ab6816d1bf812?s=24&d=mm&r=g","48":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8a7fdf46a851bce8a52d512322c9272eeceeaf403030aa79e28ab6816d1bf812?s=48&d=mm&r=g","96":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8a7fdf46a851bce8a52d512322c9272eeceeaf403030aa79e28ab6816d1bf812?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theelman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theelman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users"}]}}