Community Benefit Networks and Community Benefit Agreements

How can we make sure that child care centres are included in large infrastructure
development projects? One way – get involved in a local community benefit
network and work with others to have child care included as part of a community
benefit agreement.

Community Benefit Networks and “Community Benefit Agreements” (CBA) are a
growing phenomenon across the country. Community Benefit Agreements
promoted through Community Benefit Networks aim to achieve better outcomes
for local communities from large infrastructure/development projects.

Community benefits are additional socio-economic and physical benefits for the
local community that are leveraged by dollars already being spent on infrastructure
and land development projects. A CBA is founded on a shared, legally binding
commitment between government, the contracting firm/developer and the
community to build and complete public infrastructure projects through an
effective, efficient, transparent, fair and inclusive process that supports good public
infrastructure such as child care, parks, community centres, and good jobs and
training opportunities for residents.

CBAs aim to achieve better outcomes from development projects for the
community in which the development is taking place. These CBAs are legal
agreements between residents, community groups, developers, and government.
CBAs are a proven model to ensure that development projects are communitydriven, collaborative, and accountable.

As I said at the start – if you want to make child care part of a community benefit
agreement get involved in a local community benefit network or work with others
in your area to organize a community benefit network:

Vancouver BC – http://letsbuildbc.ca/contact/
Toronto ON – https://www.communitybenefits.ca
Ottawa ON – https://ottawacommunitybenefits.ca
Hamilton ON – https://bit.ly/35KxrT2
Peel ON – https://www.pcbn.ca