There are many options for child-care in Doha. Nurseries, pre-schools and kindergartens are located across the city, offering care and education to children from 4 months to 4 years. Children may attend pre-schools for 2 to 5 days per week. Most pre-schools offer international (British, American and Canadian) curriculums in English.
The nursery industry in Qatar is regulated by the Ministry of Social Affairs. The government does not regulate the price of childcare in Qatar, but does provide public safety regulations for nurseries and day care centres. Under the law, childcare centers are required to employ a nurse on their permanent staff, and contract a government-approved doctor to visit the centers regularly to check the mental and physical health of children.
Childcare Facilities in Doha
How to Find Childcare Facilities in Doha
Before selecting a nursery in Doha you should consider what level of care is required, if the nursery provides snacks and meals, what the hours and location of the nursery are, what type of curriculum it follows, if it has an outdoor play area, if they potty train children, if there are nurses on hand, and what languages teachers speak.
You can also meet with fellow expat mothers in Doha. There are several groups of expat mums in the city, including Doha Mums, that arrange meet-ups for newcomers to the city and provide support and resources for childcare and playgroups in Doha. You can also check EasyExpat's Qatar Childcare forum and expat network for childcare advice.
Acorn Nursery
British-run Acorn Nursery is located near the Dar Al Salam Compound and Abu Hamour Petrol Station.
Phone: +974 4447 8333
Website: http://www.acornqatar.com/
Email: info@acornqatar.com
Cost: From 2,100 QR for 2 days a week, to 2,800 QR for 5 days a week
Ages: 2 months to 5 years
Al Bateel
Phone: +974 4451 4693
Website: http://www.albateelkindergarten.qa/
Cost: 13,500 QR/year
Ages: Kindergarten for 3-5 years
Apple Tree Nursery
Irish-run nursery located near the ASPIRE Zone.
Phone: +974 4481 2147
Website: http://www.appletreedoha.com/
Email: manageraspire@appletreedoha.com
Cost: Depends on age of child and number of days of care required
Ages: 12 months to 4 years
Bambinos Nursery Care
Multi-national nursery located in the Tawar Compound near the Landmark Mall.
Phone: +974 4444 1020
Website: http://www.bambinosqatar.com/
Email: info@bambinosqatar.com
Cost: Depends on subscription plan
Ages: 1 to 4 years
Bunny Bunny English Nursery
British and South-African run nursery with Western expatriate staff, located in Al Waab.
Phone: +974 4450 7102
Email: patsy@tek.com.qa
Cost: From 6,300 QR for 2 days a week to 7,500 QR for 5 days a week.
Ages: 18 months to 4 years
Busy Hands Nursery
Multicultural nursery located opposite the Beverly Hills Al Rayyan compound.
Phone: +974 4487 3214
Website: http://www.busyhandsnursery-qatar.com/
Email: busyhands_nursery@hotmail.com
Cost: 1,750 QR monthly to 4,800 QR per term
Ages: 2 months to 4.5 years
Calgary International Preschool Green Start
Canadian-run preschool following a Canadian curriculum, located in the ASPIRE Zone in Al Waab.
Phone: +974 4416 1760
Website: http://www.cips-qatar.com/
Email: info@cips-qatar.com
Ages: 2 months to 47 months
CESK Pre-School
British-run nursery school located in Al Waab
Phone: +974 4413 5675
Website: http://www.ceskonline.com/
Email: info@ceskonline.com
Ages: From 2 months
Creative Child Nursery School
American curriculum nursery school located in the Riviera Gardens Compound in Al Duhail.
Phone: +974 4479 5916
Website: http://www.creativechildnursery.com/
Email: creativechildqatar@yahoo.com
Ages: 1 to 4 years old
The English Kindergarten (TEK)
Located in Mansour Bin Talha Street near Doha College and the Cambridge School.
Phone: +974 4491 9319
Website: http://www.tek.com.qa/index.htm
Email: patsy@tek.com.qa
Ages: 3 to 5 years
Fairy Tales Nursery
British-run nursery located in West Bay.
Phone: +974 4417 8880
Website: http://www.fairytalesdoha.com/
Email: info@fairytalesdoha.com
Cost: Depends on age and number of days of care per week
Ages: 2 months to 4 years
Fun First Nursery
Lebanese and British-run nursery located in West Bay.
Phone: +974 4411 0953
Website: http://www.funfirstnursery.com/
Email: admin@funfirstnursery.com
Cost: From 7,500 QR for 5 days a week to 6,000 QR for 2 days a week.
Ages: 1 to 3+ years
Future Nursery
Multi-national nursery located in Ain Khaled offering a UK Early Years Foundation Stage Programme.
Phone: +974 4450 1264
Email: 44501264@futurenursery.com.qa
Ages: 2 months to 4 years
Giggles Day Care
American day care located in Al Gharaffa.
Phone: +974 4480 4447
Website: http://www.my-giggles.com/
Email: info@my-giggles.com
Ages: 6 weeks to 4 years
Happy Faces Nursery
Egyptian-run nursery following a British curriculum, located in Al Hilal.
Phone: +974 4466 6178
Website: http://www.happy-faces-nursery.com/
Email: info@happy-faces-nursery.com
Cost: From 200 QR per day per child to 2,300 QR per month for 5 days per week care
Ages: 4 months to 4 years
Kid'n Around Kindergarten
Qatari and Lebanese run-kindergarten following a British Curriculum Early Years Foundation Stage.
Phone: +974 4483 3836
Website: http://www.kidnaroundkg.com/
Email: info@kidnaroundkg.com
Ages: 3-5 years
Kidz International Pre-School (KIPS)
Canadian-run pre-school following a British and Canadian curriculum, located in Al Gharaffa.
Phone: +974 5594 5215
Website: http://www.kipsqatar.com/
Email: info@kipsqatar.com
Ages: 6 weeks to 47 months
Ladybird Nursery
American-run nursery following a British foundation curriculum, with an integrated American plan of study.
Phone: +974 4416 8397
Website: http://nurseriesinqatar.qa/item/ladybird-nursery/
Email: ladybird.nursery.qatar@gmail.com
Cost: From 2,300 QR monthly.
Ages: From birth to 4 years
Little Academy Nursery
American-run nursery following the Harcourt and Scholastic American curriculum. There are 2 branches in Doha: Madinat Khalifa & Maamoura Branch
Phone: (+974) 4411 0027 / (+974) 4460 2713
Website: http://www.littleacademy.qa
Email: madinat@littleacademynursery.com, maamoura@littleacademynursery.com
Cost: between QR7500 to QR14700 per term (3 months) depending on the days required
Ages: 1 to 4 years
Montezine Nursery of Doha
Lebanese and Brazilian run-nursery following a British curriculum, located in the Old Airport Area.
Phone: +974 4466 1250
Website: http://www.montezinenursery.com/
Email: info@montezinenursery.com
Cost: From 2,000 QR for 3 days per week to 2,400 QR for 5 days a week.
Ages: 3 months to 4 years
Newton International School, Lagoon, Early Years
British EYFS curriculum nursery school located in West Bay.
Phone: +974 6622 4475
Website: http://www.newtoninternationalschool.edu.qa/
Email: minfo.lagoon@newtoninternationalschool.edu
Cost: From 7,333 to 10,000 QR per term
Ages: 3 to 5 years
Starfish Lane Kids
Australian-run nursery with four locations across Doha in Al Markhiya, Al Jeleiah, Qatari Diar and Al Mamoura
Phone: +974 4487 5939 and +974 4411 0355 and +974 4469 3006
Website: http://www.starfishlanekids.com/
Email: enquiries@starfishlanekids.com
Ages: 12 months to 4 years
Steady Steps Nursery
International nursery following an American curriculum, located in Al Duhail South.
Phone: +974 4447 9687
Website: https://www.facebook.com/SteadyStepsNursery/
Email: steadystepsnursery@gmail.com
Ages: 6 months to 4 years
Tiny Town British Nursery
British-run nursery following a British 'Stepping Stones' curriculum, located in Al Markhiya.
Phone: +974 4483 4553
Website: http://www.tinytown.com.qa/
Email: info@tinytown.com.qa
Ages: 6 months to 4 years
Tots Corner Nursery
Danish-run nursery following an American curriculum, located in Al Mamoura.
Phone: +974 4468 8008
Website: http://www.totscornernursery.com/
Email: totscorner@qatar.net.qa
Ages: 1 to 4 years
Child Care Prices in Doha
Pre-school and nursery fees depend on the age of the child and the type of service provided (i.e. how many days of care per week).
Tuition is normally paid monthly or quarterly (per term) and costs on average 2,000 QR monthly. Registration fees, uniform fees, and other fees may apply.
Playgroups in Doha
There are several playgroups in Doha, organized by local mothers. This are usually fairly informal and run by a pool of mothers.
Parachute Playgroup
Email: parachute@dohamums.com
Organized by two Doha mothers in Al Waab every Wednesday from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm, Parachute playgroup is a cooperative playgroup for children from 18 months to 6 years old. Please RSVP to the playgroup by email.
Pool Playgroup at Intercontinental Hotel
Open to registered Doha Mums group members only. 0.50 QR per person (kids under 2 years old are free).
This playgroup for Doha Mums members meets one morning every week at the Intercontinental Hotel pool.
Afternoon Playgroup at Intercontinental Hotel
Open to registered Doha Mums group members only. 0.50 QR per person (kids under 2 years old are free).
This playgroup for Doha Mums members meets one afternoon every week at the Intercontinental Hotel pool.
Fun City Playgroup
Email: rsvp@dohamums.com
This playgroup meets Thursdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Fun City in the City Center Mall, for children from 2 to 5 years old. Access costs 20 QR for 2 hours for Doha Mums group members.
Please RSVP to the playgroup by email.
Babysitting in Doha
Babysitter's are generally employed on a temporary or short-term basis. Often a friend of the family or relative, or a maid or housekeeper, is employed for an evening to watch over the child at the parents' residence.
Babysitting Prices in Doha
Babysitters are generally less expensive than nurseries or kindergartens in Doha. For long-term care, babysitters cost 1,200 to 2,500 QR monthly. It is also common to pay for the babysitter's transport on a monthly basis (e.g. 600-800 QR monthly). On a per-day basis babysitters may charge 75-100 QR plus a transport fee of 10-25 QR. On a per-hour basis babysitters may charge 20-35 QR, depending on their experience level.
How to Find a Sitter
Most families find a babysitter in Doha by word-of-mouth, letting friends and co-workers know that they are looking. A great on-line resource is to post on expat classified's, like on Easy Expat's babysitter search.
For more frequent childcare, you may consider an au pair. Consult the section on "Au Pair" under "Find a Job".
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