Fulton Child Care Centre and its programs are governed by the Fulton Child Care Association and Fulton After School Association — not-for-profit organizations and registered charities.
According to the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (source document no longer available):
- Non-profit child care services exist to provide a service to the community without financial gain.
- Non-profits tend to have a stronger mission to provide high quality care. […] They provide more care for subsidized low income children and children with special needs.
- Non-profits put all of their resources back into their programs while commercial centres are set up to also make a profit.
- Non-profits hire staff, including directors, who are better trained and better paid, and have more favourable child-staff ratios.
- Through the nature of their governance models, non-profits are accountable to parents, governments and taxpayers and are developed in a way that responds to the needs of families and communities first.
- Community-based, non-profit services are best able to integrate with other child and family services, such as health and education. Integrated services ensure that a range of supports are available to children and their families.
Fulton’s governance includes:
- Bylaws to state the purpose of the organization and outline the rules or requirements that the board of directors must follow, and are the foundation of the framework policies. Bylaws can only be changed at an Annual General Meeting and must be approved by quorum of 20 members.
- Board of Directors (10-12) who are elected yearly at the Annual General Meeting and who volunteer to implement policies for the membership and conduct the general management of the affairs of the centre. The board conducts regular monthly board meetings (at least 10) with minutes, yearly elections and responsibility for the financial status of the organization. The board is empowered to appoint any committee as it deems necessary. The board must have an executive consisting of the Chair, Co-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. The board must have seven Directors including at least two executive to approve actions at any meeting.
- Charitable status allowing Fulton Child Care Association and Fulton After School Association to issue charitable receipts, giving the centre exemption from property tax, enabling us to get a refund on a portion of the GST paid on centre purchases, and allowing eligibility for fundraising licences, e.g. 50/50 draw or casino.
- Incorporation under the Societies Act. Being incorporated is a requirement to obtain various funding sources and to have charitable status under the Income Tax Act. We complete an Annual Return for the day care and after school.
- Annual General Meeting as required in our bylaws to inform the membership of new policies, plans, and the association’s financial status including the results of the yearly audit.