Choosing a good daycare in Indonesia is no easy task. The lack of\ntransparent licensing mechanisms, insufficient standardisation, and\ninadequate supervision make it particularly difficult.<\/p>\n
In relation to this, Republika spoke with several parents who entrust\ntheir children to daycares. Indiana Malia, 33, is one of them.<\/p>\n
The mother of one child admitted to having various reasons for\nplacing her child in a daycare. One of them was her postpartum blues\ncondition, which led her to have tendencies to harm herself and even\nfleeting thoughts of harming her child.<\/p>\n
\u201cI repeatedly engaged in self-harm, and repeatedly thought about\nhurting my child, but fortunately I was still sane enough not to harm\nthe baby,\u201d she told Republika.<\/p>\n
She also admitted to seeking professional help. However, those\nefforts did not have much impact. She still felt alone in caring for her\nchild. Moreover, her husband worked from morning to evening, followed by\nonline classes at night.<\/p>\n
The peak came when the woman living in Depok had to be hospitalised\ndue to exhaustion and was treated for two weeks. Eventually, she decided\nto quit her job to focus on caring for her child.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, that decision did not bring her peace because she was\naccustomed to working. She then decided to hire a caregiver for her\nchild. However, dealing with caregivers did not make her life any\ncalmer.<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, at that time I had tried hiring nannies several times, but\nthere was always drama. The last one ran away, borrowed millions without\npaying it back, so I\u2019m traumatised using nannies,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
It was these various considerations that led Indiana to decide to\nplace her child in a daycare. She began selectively searching for a\nreliable daycare, from checking the owner\u2019s track record, verifying\nlegality, to real-time CCTV monitoring systems at the daycare.<\/p>\n
\u201cI put my child in when she was almost two years old, so she could\nalready talk. Choosing a daycare is indeed necessary because you\u2019re\nentrusting a young child who is essentially under the control of adults\nand physically can\u2019t resist if something happens,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
At that time, Indiana had almost placed her child at Wensen School\nIndonesia, which later came to light with abuse cases inside it.\nHowever, her instincts as a mother made her cancel that intention.\n\u201cThere was a heavy feeling about putting her there, so I just did a\ntrial, then didn\u2019t continue,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In the first month, Indiana admitted to always monitoring her child\u2019s\ndevelopment via CCTV. Including her physical condition, which she\nchecked every day. Currently, she feels confident in the daycare where\nher child is placed because there are always reports. Moreover, her\nchild\u2019s development has been optimal while at the daycare. As a result,\nshe can return to work with peace of mind.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, she hopes the government can continue to oversee\ndaycare operations. Considering that child abuse cases in daycares still\noccur. Meanwhile, the need for daycares among families continues to\nrise.<\/p>\n
\u201cTighten licensing requirements. Empower neighbourhood associations\n(RT\/RW) to help monitor their surroundings; if there\u2019s an unlicensed\ndaycare, they can report it to prevent unwanted incidents,\u201d she\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Not only that, she also urges the government to mandate office\nfacilities to provide affordable daycares. Because the cost of daycares\nin office environments is currently considered very expensive and not\ncommensurate with workers\u2019 wages.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve surveyed many daycares; in Jakarta, it was above Rp 4 million\nin 2021. My child\u2019s daycare is around Rp 2.5 million for toddlers; for\nbabies, around Rp 3 million,\u201d said Indiana.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/those-who-nearly-became-victims-of-naughty-daycares-1777333876", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }