Mira Antonian is the author of the idea and one of the founding members of the Child Protection Network (CPN). Since 2005, she has initiated and led the process of establishing the Network by bringing together professionals and organizations working in the field of child protection onto a shared platform of cooperation and coordinated advocacy.

For many years, through her leadership and the dedication of volunteers, CPN operated without formal registration but succeeded in strengthening its institutional capacity, introducing proposals for systemic reforms, and defending the rights of the most vulnerable children in Armenia.

Mira Antonian is the Executive Director of the “Children’s Support Center” Foundation of the Armenian Relief Society (ARCS) and the President of the Armenian Association of Social Workers (AASW). She holds a PhD in Sociology, is an Associate Professor, and lectures at the Chair of Social Work and Social Technologies at Yerevan State University. She also serves as a visiting lecturer at several universities across Europe, the CIS, and the United States.

Under her leadership, innovative social protection service models have been developed in Armenia — including foster care, crisis intervention, community day-care centers, mobile prevention teams, and mechanisms for alternative care and reintegration.

Mira Antonian is the author of around 100 scientific articles, methodological manuals, and research papers dedicated to child protection system reforms.

Within the Child Protection Network, she continues to share her expertise in organizing professional events, capacity-building, advocacy, and public awareness initiatives, serving as a speaker, trainer, and expert in the field.