Licensed child-care providers in British Columbia can no longer charge families a fee to be on their waitlists as of April 1.

The province says the fees have been eliminated to reduce the overall costs associated with child care, as part of funding guidelines released by the B.C. government in December that will take effect over the coming year.

“Child care is expensive enough without fees adding up before families have secured child care,” Mitzi Dean, minister of child care, said in a news release.

The province says some providers were charging non-refundable fees between $25 and $200 to hold a spot on their waitlists.