31 Daycares in Jogja Unlicensed, Local Government to Temporarily Close Them

The Yogyakarta City Government is surveying daycares in its jurisdiction following the discovery of an alleged abuse case at the Little Aresha Jogja childcare facility. The survey revealed that 31 daycares in Yogyakarta lack proper licences. Yogyakarta Mayor Hasto Wardoyo stated that as of today, there are 68 registered daycares in the city. However, only 37 of them hold official licences, while the rest do not. “As of today, the total registered is 68 daycares. Of those 68, 37 are officially licensed, and the others are not,” Hasto said at the Yogyakarta City Kepatihan Complex on Tuesday (28/4/2026). Hasto noted that most unlicensed daycares are located within the scope of kindergartens or early childhood education (PAUD) institutions. They only hold operational permits for kindergartens or PAUD. “This means these institutions are kindergartens or PAUD, and they also offer daycare services. The kindergarten should have a permit, the PAUD should have a permit, and the daycare should have a permit as well. But they do not yet have a (daycare) permit,” Hasto explained. In accordance with directives from the Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY), Hasto said that unlicensed daycares will be temporarily closed until they obtain permits. The government will facilitate and assist with the licensing process, especially for daycares that already provide good services and facilities. “The directive from Ngarsa Dalem (Governor of DIY) was to temporarily close those without permits while asking them to apply for licensing. The government must also be proactive in helping,” Hasto revealed. “Not all child care centres (TPA) are bad, not all are poor quality. Many TPAs are trustworthy and very much needed by the community. If the public cannot access TPAs later, it will be problematic. Many working people, husband and wife, where will they entrust their children? The important thing is that we must continue to accompany them to ensure safety,” he emphasised. In addition to operational measures for daycares, the Yogyakarta City Government is also addressing the victims of the Little Aresha daycare. The city has deployed a special team to provide accompaniment and services to the Little Aresha victims. Head of the Yogyakarta City Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection, and Family Planning Population Control Agency (DP3AP2KB), Retnaningtyas, said that her office has opened a hotline to receive complaints from victims. “We have opened a hotline helpdesk at the Child Protection Unit (UPT PPA) for the victims’ families. Now, there are already 149 data entries to our office,” Ratna stated. “The 149 accessed our hotline and reported through it. Some who have already graduated (from Little Aresha daycare) also reported,” she added. Ratna will conduct assessments on the 149 complaints to map out the required needs. Subsequently, her office will provide services according to those needs. “The outcomes vary; some will need further accompaniment,” Ratna said. “As of now, based on Sunday’s data, we have assessed 37 children, on Monday 53, and this is still ongoing until Thursday,” she concluded.