{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1816135,
        "msgid": "fathers-must-be-present-for-their-children-not-just-breadwinners-1782107436",
        "date": "2026-06-22 11:49:00",
        "title": "Fathers Must Be Present for Their Children, Not Just Breadwinners",
        "author": "Andhika",
        "source": "MEDIA_INDONESIA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "A senior official from Indonesia's Ministry of Population and Family Development has urged fathers to prioritise emotional presence over career achievements, warning that parental absence contributes to youth social problems. Budi Setiyono, Secretary of the ministry, stressed that a father's role is lifelong and cannot be replaced by professional titles or wealth. The call comes as data from the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) indicates that 25.8% of families with children experience fatherlessness.",
        "content": "<p>Secretary of the Ministry of Population and Family Development and\nPrincipal Secretary of the BKKBN, Budi Setiyono, has reminded the public\nthat children do not particularly care about their parents\u2019 job titles,\nrank, or career achievements. What they need most, he said, is the\npresence of their father in their daily lives. \u201cChildren actually do not\ncare much about how many meetings we attend or how much wealth we\npossess. What children remember more is how often we were present when\nthey needed us,\u201d Budi said during a Model Father Movement class on\nMonday. According to him, the theme of the 2026 National Family Day,\n\u2018Fathers Must Be Present\u2019, must be interpreted substantively, not merely\nas physical presence. He observed that many parents are very disciplined\nin fulfilling work obligations but often neglect their children\u2019s\nemotional needs. \u201cWe are very responsive to messages from our superiors,\nbut when a child says, \u2018Dad, look at my drawing\u2019, we often reply, \u2018Wait\na moment, dad is busy with something important\u2019,\u201d he stated. Budi\nemphasised that no attendance system records a father\u2019s presence at\nhome. Yet, that presence is crucial in determining a child\u2019s future. He\nalso highlighted various youth problems such as brawls, free sex, and\nstreet violence, which he believes are inseparable from the lack of\nfamily guidance and support. As an example, Budi recounted the story of\nMugiono, a pedicab driver from Kendal, Central Java, who successfully\nsent his daughter to pursue a doctoral education in England and become\nan academic. \u201cA father\u2019s success is not only measured by the position,\nrank, or awards he achieves, but by how he is present to accompany his\nchildren,\u201d he said. Budi expressed hope that fathers would not only be\npresent during report card distribution or when asked for school fees,\nbut also be emotionally present in every phase of their children\u2019s\nlives. \u201cWhen we retire, our positions will change, and our civil servant\ncards will no longer be valid. But the role of a father will remain\nattached for life,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fathers-must-be-present-for-their-children-not-just-breadwinners-1782107436",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}