Not Enough to Just Drop Off Children, DPR Legislators Want Daycare to Be Safer and Standardized

Member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Abdullah, asked that the practice of daycare or child care in Indonesia be thoroughly evaluated following the case of violence against children at a daycare in Yogyakarta.

He assessed that the number of daycare centers in Indonesia, which reached thousands, had not fully met the standards for licensing, operational procedures, and adequate service quality.

"Therefore, I propose that the regulations on the establishment of daycare and its SOP be improved and significantly tightened," said Abdullah in his statement in Jakarta, Monday, April 27.

According to him, a number of countries such as Finland, Sweden, and Denmark have implemented strict daycare management and made it part of the child protection and education system.

Therefore, Abdullah proposed that the daycare system in Indonesia be equipped with a profiling or screening mechanism that parents can access through an application or digital platform.

In addition, he also encouraged the government to improve daycare services, including through subsidies as a form of state responsibility in fulfilling the right to a decent life for toddlers and children.

Abdullah also condemned the case of violence against children that occurred at the Little Aresha daycare, Yogyakarta. He considered the action to be inhumane and against the law.

As a member of the legislature who deals with law enforcement, he asked the police to take firm action against all parties involved, both the manager and the founder of the daycare.

"I also urge other authorized agencies to optimally recover the physical and psychological trauma of children and parents who are victims of the daycare," he said.