City Government: Only Six Legal Daycares in Banda Aceh

The Banda Aceh City Government has emphasised that only six child care centres (TPA/daycares) are legal or hold operational permits in Aceh’s provincial capital.

“For Banda Aceh City, so far there are only six legal child care centres with permits,” said Head of the Banda Aceh City Education Office, Sulaiman Bakri, on Wednesday (28/4), quoted from Antara.

This statement was made in response to the alleged assault case involving an 18-month-old toddler at Baby Preneur Daycare in Banda Aceh, which is currently under investigation by local police.

Sulaiman detailed the six daycares: TPA Annisa Arfah at Jl Chik Dipineung Raya Lr Rukun Warisan, Syiah Kuala Subdistrict, Banda Aceh City.

Then, TPA Islam Al-Azhar Cairo on Jalan Mutiara, Lamgugop, Syiah Kuala Subdistrict. Third, PAUD Cerdas Ceria on Jalan T ADB Rahman, Meunasah Meugap, Jaya Baru Subdistrict, Banda Aceh City.

Next, TPA Islam Bustan As Sofa on Jalan Prada Utama, Lr Mushalla, Syiah Kuala Subdistrict. Fifth, TPA Cinta Ananda on Jalan Tgk Chik Dipineueng Raya, Syiah Kuala Subdistrict.

“Finally, TPA Kiddy Kid CENTER on Jalan Tgk Blang Chiep, Jaya Baru Subdistrict, Banda Aceh City. Those are the six permitted child care centres in Banda Aceh,” he said.

The problematic daycare case emerged after an incident at Baby Preneur Daycare in Banda Aceh where a caregiver is suspected of abusing a baby.

Based on licensing records from the Banda Aceh City Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Office (DPMPTSP), the problematic daycare does not have an official permit, so the government is taking steps to shut down its operations.

Not only that daycare, Sulaiman continued, following this case, the government is committed to closing all other daycare operations without official permits.

“The problematic TPA will be closed. For other TPAs without permits, we will close them all,” he said.

On this occasion, he asked the public to report any child care centres without permits so they can be followed up.

On the other hand, Head of DPMPTSP Banda Aceh, Mohd Ichsan, explained that the operational licensing process for owners starts with submitting an application to the relevant agency, in this case the Education Office, for eligibility verification.

“So, regarding this, although it is an educational facility for child care. This falls under the Education Office’s domain for verification and eligibility,” he said.

After verification, a recommendation from the Education Office is given to DPMPTSP to proceed to the licensing stage.

“After the technical recommendation is issued, we at DPMPTSP then issue the permit. So, we are the final point for issuing permits,” said Mohd Ichsan.

Academic criticism

The scarcity of legal daycares in Banda Aceh has drawn criticism from academics in the Veranda of Mecca.

Rector of UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh, Prof Mujiburrahman, highlighted the prevalence of abuse cases in child care centres (daycares), which he believes tarnishes early childhood education institutions in Aceh.

“There are factors such as low caregiver competence, weak supervision, and suboptimal regulation implementation as the main triggers,” Mujiburrahman told reporters on Wednesday (29/4).

In that context, he emphasised the need for concrete steps from local government to reduce child violence rates across Aceh.

Some urgent efforts include tightening licensing and accreditation systems for child care institutions, ensuring effective routine supervision, and enforcing strict sanctions for violations.

“The local government should set minimum service standards for daycares, including academic competence, ideal caregiver-to-child ratios, and mandatory periodic training for caregivers,” he said.

Deputy Mayor of Banda Aceh, Afdhal Khalilullah, admitted he will increase supervision of child care centre and PAUD permits to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“Perhaps beyond our reach why there are daycares that should have tightened permits, we will be more vigilant in supervising the relevant daycare and others,” said Afdhal.

High cases of child and women violence in Banda Aceh

Meanwhile, the Banda Aceh City Government recorded an increase in child and women violence cases throughout early 2026.

Acting Head of the Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection, Population Control and Family Planning Office (P3AP2KB) of Banda Aceh City, Tiara Sutari, said the number of cases from January to March 2026 reached 106 cases.

Tiara detailed that in 2025 there were a total of 131 cases handled, consisting of 69 child violence cases and 62 women violence cases.

Meanwhile, in the first three months of 2026, the recorded cases already approach the previous year’s total.

According to Tiara, the high number in 2026 does not entirely reflect new cases. Some are follow-up handling services from unresolved 2025 cases, thus still entered in the current year’s data.

“In the 2026 January-March period, there are already 106 cases. Our services continue, so if the service is not completed in 2025, it carries over to the next year,” said Tiara.

She affirmed that her office continues to strengthen accompaniment services so all cases can be handled sustainably until resolved.