DPR Leader: Child Abuse in Daycares Recurs Due to Weak State Oversight

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal believes that the recurring cases of child abuse in childcare facilities (daycares) occur due to weak state oversight.

Nevertheless, society’s dependence on these services is quite high, requiring clear systemic improvements from the government.

“The system and oversight in childcare facilities or daycares are still very weak, especially from the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (KemenPPPA), which is responsible for handling this matter,” said Cucun in his official statement on Friday (1/5/2026).

“There have already been several incidents of violence against children in daycares, but they keep recurring. So, it needs to be questioned: how has the oversight by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection been conducted so far?” he continued.

Based on government data, said Cucun, around 75% of families use daycares as an alternative for child rearing.

“This means that daycares have become part of basic social services that support family life. In such conditions, the quality of oversight of daycares should be able to operate more maximally,” he said.

He assessed that the weakness in oversight is also evident from the many daycares that do not meet standards.

Data from the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection shows that only 30.7% of daycares have operational permits, while 44% lack legality.

In addition, around 20% do not have standard operating procedures (SOPs), and 66.7% of management personnel are not certified.

“This condition shows that administrative oversight is not running in tandem with substantive oversight of child rearing,” said Cucun.

Therefore, he urged the government to conduct a national audit of the daycare licensing and oversight system.

“The government needs to conduct a national audit of the daycare licensing model, including evaluating whether all regions have periodic verification mechanisms,” he said.

In addition, Cucun reminded that the existence of daycares is regulated in Law Number 4 of 2024 on Maternal and Child Welfare (UU KIA), which mandates the provision of safe and proper childcare facilities.