It appears the great bill-stealing feud of 2016 is over and parents are the winners.

The Ontario government has proposed regulations that will prohibit child-care centres from charging parents for a spot on their wait lists.

Interested parties can weigh-in until July 4, and the proposed changes are to come into effect on Sept. 1, 2016. They will also require licensed child-care providers to develop "a public wait list policy that provides a clear explanation of how the licensee determines the order in which children on a wait list are offered admission" and make wait-list status available to clients in a way that ensures confidentiality.

The regulations under the Child Care and Early Years Act comes after two private member's bills were introduced in the legislature seeking the same outcome. The first was from NDP MPP Peter Tabuns, the second from Liberal MPP Arthur Potts. Potts has accused Tabuns of stealing the issue from him while he worked on it.

Both bills were written with input from two Toronto lawyers, Nadine Blum and Kelly Doctor.

"These changes are an important step in making quality child care spaces ‎more affordable and accessible," Potts said in a press release. "Thanks to local parents who brought this to my attention."

The regulations are good news to Tabuns — and to parents, he said.

“I’m pleased that actually they came out,” he told QP Briefing. “I’ve been around long enough to know the government doesn’t always follow through on its promises."

Tabuns noted that the ministry’s press release about the regulations cited only Potts’s bill and not his — but that’s not what matters to parents, he added.

Seen: Government banning child care wait-list fees

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