Daycare in Indonesia: Between Service Expansion and Child Protection
KOMPAS.com - The transformation of daycare in Indonesia can no longer be viewed merely as a social phenomenon. This service has developed into a strategic public policy issue because it lies at the intersection of three major interests: early childhood education, childcare, and the care economy. However, to date, these three aspects have not been consolidated into a single, comprehensive systemic framework.
This is where the paradox begins to emerge. On one hand, the state is aggressively promoting the expansion of service access. On the other hand, the readiness of the regulatory, supervisory, and child protection systems is lagging behind. As a result, expansion is occurring faster than the system’s ability to ensure quality and safety.
Normatively, Indonesia does not lack regulations. Law No. 20 of 2003 on the National Education System, Article 28, stipulates that early childhood education (PAUD) encompasses formal, non-formal, and informal pathways, with Childcare Centres (TPA) as part of non-formal PAUD.
Further reinforcement comes through Ministry of Education and Culture Regulation (Permendikbud) No. 84 of 2014, which affirms that TPA carries out educational, childcare, and protection functions for children aged 0–6 years.
The childcare dimension is also strengthened by Ministry of Social Affairs Regulation (Permensos) No. 1 of 2020, which defines childcare as fulfilling children’s needs for affection, attachment, safety, and well-being. In this context, daycare bears a dual role: as an educational institution and as a temporary substitute family.
However, the strength of the regulatory framework does not automatically translate into quality implementation.
“Regulatorily, daycare has been recognised as part of the education system, childcare practices, and even as economic infrastructure. However, the consistency of its implementation in the field is still weak,” said Dr Gutama, Member of the ECED Council Indonesia and BAN BPDM for the 2023–2028 period.
The push for expansion is further strengthened by the Joint Circular of Six Ministers No. 2 of 2025, which encourages the acceleration of cross-sectoral daycare establishment. This policy sends a clear signal that the state prioritises expanding access and community involvement.
The problem is that this expansion is not accompanied by strengthening supervisory systems, standardisation, and child protection.
Data shows a serious gap between the number of services and quality assurance. As of the end of 2024, there were 2,329 TPAs (Pusdatin Kemendikdasmen, 2025), but only 36.02 percent are accredited.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (KemenPPPA) records only 58 daycares specifically registered since 2021 that meet the Child-Friendly Nursery (TARA) standards (Kompas.com, Sunday (11/8/2024)).
Some institutions also do not use the daycare nomenclature, but rather TPA, kindergarten (TK), or playgroups (KB), all of which fall under different accreditation schemes under the Ministry of Education.
This situation indicates that Indonesia faces two fundamental problems: fragmentation of cross-sectoral data systems and the absence of a single binding standard that covers all forms of child care services. Without data integration and definitions, daycare-related policies lack an accurate and strong control basis.