The updated policy allows nurseries to accept children as young as one day old, a significant change from the previous guidelines.
According to ADEK's Early Education Institution (EEI) Policy age guidelines, "Children shall be older than one day and less than four years of age at the time of enrolment." The aim of the regulation is to establish fair admission standards, ensuring equal opportunities for all children.
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This new policy takes effect during the 2024-2025 academic year and will become mandatory in the 2025-2026 academic year. Although many nursery owners and parents doubt that mothers will opt to enrol their newborns on the very first day, some see the flexibility as a reasonable choice, leaving the decision up to parents.
Rami Hammadi, a father of a 47-day-old baby, Khaled, strongly disagreed with the new regulation. He believes that newborns need to stay with their mothers during the early months.“I strongly oppose this option, especially since the UAE government provides an adequate maternity leave for working mothers."
"I would not even consider sending a baby to a nursery before one year," added the 41-year-old Syrian expat. "It is important for the child needs to breastfeed and avoid formula milk."
Rami with his baby Khaled
Meanwhile, Oussama Mohamad, believes that "children under four don't need education".
"They need to eat, play, sleep, and be by their mother's side for care and nurturing. They can be taught the fundamentals (of life) from home, from their own parents, to bond and build connections," said the father of two.
“I did not enrol my kids at any nursery because it's a waste of money as pre-school tuition fees have become equivalent to middle school fees. Education is becoming very corporate," explained the 35-year-old Palestinian expat.
While his wife is currently a stay-at-home mother, she used to work when she had her two sons and daughter several years ago.
“We hired a nanny at the time, and sometimes left the baby with family members, but I would never opt for a nursery unless necessary.
“I understand that some mothers need to work and earn a living, in that case it is better to leave them at home under trusted adult supervision, so they can grow in their home environment,” he concluded.
'Quite logical' policy
Fatima A, an Emirati mother of three, found the new policy reasonable, calling it "quite logical", especially for working parents. Although she didn't enrol her children in nursery until they were two, as they were well cared for by her in-laws, she acknowledged the benefit for parents without family support. "It's great for parents who work and have no place to leave their babies," she said.
Oussama Mohamad with his children
Nonetheless, he said the updated admission age can be helpful to expat mothers who do not have any relatives around to rely on during their absence at work.
Um Maryam, a new mother, agreed that the new policy could be crucial for parents without support systems.“Maybe the change was made because certain parents require the support from experts in the field. We are lucky, as nationals, to have our family around to help with all baby's requirements,” she said.
"New mothers who don't have experience might be overwhelmed by the baby's needs," she said.
Another new mother, Maryam, said that she would not want her newborn to be in a nursery,“especially at this age where they are fully dependent on the mother and need to bond with her".
"This is a crucial time for both mother and baby; and the mother needs to be around the baby to ensure her/his safety and wellbeing," added the new mum who just delivered her baby four weeks ago.
“For me personally, the right time for nursery would be after one year of age when the child begins to socialise with peers,” she added.
"I can't imagine a mother doing that'
Ghada Abu Assi, the owner and manager of Super Nanny Nursery, expressed that while she doesn't anticipate mothers dropping off their newborns immediately after birth, she is prepared to accommodate such requests if they arise.
"I can't imagine a mother doing that, dropping her baby at the nursery straight from the hospital," she said, though she acknowledged the nursery's capacity to care for infants from day one.
"We are totally equipped to receive infants. We only accept up to five babies under six months at a time, which ensures they receive full attention and care from our staff." Super Nanny Nursery can accommodate up to 70 children aged six months to four years, with each class having one teacher and three babysitters.
Ghada Abu Assi
Previously, nurseries could accept infants starting at two months, though Abu Assi had occasionally received one-month-old babies after seeking necessary approvals. "It's quite rare. I've only received two such cases in the past eight years," she said, noting that it's challenging to get approvals for such cases.
"Usually, they involve mothers with critical jobs, like in the military, who need to return to work early," she added.
However, she noted that she had not yet received updates about the new regulation from EEI, despite a recent meeting with them.
Ghada Abu Assi with her staff
Afnan Kittineh, the manager of My Soft Steps Centre, raised concerns about admitting newborns, emphasising the need for specialised care.“There should be a specialised nurse because it is a very sensitive age,” she explained. "I highly doubt any mother would want to send their newborn to a nursery right after birth."
Another nursery owner in Abu Dhabi, who preferred to remain anonymous, also expressed surprise at the policy change. "At this stage, the baby needs its mother and a sanitised environment. The first few months are critical, and the baby needs to get used to breastfeeding," she said.
Her nursery accepts infants starting at 45 days old, when they can feed on pumped breast milk. "Most mothers bring their babies after two months, once their maternity leave ends."