The Chatham-Kent Local Immigration Partnership's Community Plan 2026 - 2028 builds on the ongoing work of the CK LIP and partners to continue to make Chatham-Kent more welcoming, inclusive and vibrant. Over the next two years, the community will take coordinated and collective action to ensure that newcomers and immigrants can participate fully, access the services they need, and feel they belong here in Chatham-Kent.
The CK LIP Community Plan includes three connected strategic priorities:
- Employment and Entrepreneurship
Impact: Newcomers and immigrants can find work or start businesses that better match their skills, with employers more prepared to hire and support them leading to better job matches and less underemployment. - Positive Attitudes Toward Immigrants of All Racial, Cultural and Religious BackgroundsImpact: Newcomers and immigrants feel more welcomed and respected in the community, with more opportunities to connect and participate, leading to stronger belonging and less discrimination.
- Access to Immigrant-Serving Agencies that Meet Immigrants' Needs
Impact: Newcomers and immigrants can connect more easily to immigrant-serving organizations that meet their needs, leading to earlier access to services, reduced navigation barriers, and more consistent service use.
Like the previous strategic plan, the Theory of Change, the new Community Plan reflects the framework provided by Measuring Welcoming Communities: A Toolkit for Communities and Those Who Support Them, which outlines the 19 Characteristics of a Welcoming Community. This toolkit helps communities and partners evaluate their capacity to welcome immigrants and newcomers by identifying strengths and areas where improvements are needed. The Community Plan's strategic priorities are three of the toolkit's identified characteristics.
