KPAI Finds Unlicensed Daycares Are Business-Oriented and Poorly Supervised

The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) has revealed alarming findings regarding the proliferation of daycare centres operating without official permits. Based on supervisory findings, these institutions are considered to prioritise business orientation over the protection and safety of children. KPAI Chairperson Aris Adi Leksono stated that weak legality allows daycare operations to run without adequate control. This was conveyed during a working meeting with Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives in Jakarta on Tuesday (9/6). ‘At the supervision locus, we found daycares without permits or with weak legality, so what the managers do tends to be without control, and the orientation we often encounter is purely business,’ said Aris. Apart from licensing issues, KPAI highlighted weak child safeguarding policies at many supervision points. Aris assessed that efforts to present a comprehensive protection system for children are still very minimal. This condition is exacerbated by inadequate carer competence and an improper ratio of carers to children. This imbalance is allegedly intentional, designed by managers to reduce operational costs and gain greater profits. ‘The ratio of child carers is inadequate, meaning with a certain number of pupils, the number of carers is relatively fewer. It can be suspected this is, of course, in order to generate profit,’ he asserted. KPAI also sharply criticised both the central and regional governments. According to Aris, the relevant authorities tend to only act reactively after a child abuse case goes viral on social media. ‘The state, in this case the central and regional governments, moves after it goes viral. So, systemic measures still need to be strengthened,’ Aris added. This KPAI supervision was conducted in five regions, covering Depok, Pekanbaru, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, and Banda Aceh. The move was a response to a series of child abuse cases that emerged, such as the cases at the ‘Little Aresha’ daycare in Yogyakarta and ‘Baby Preneur’ in Banda Aceh in April 2026. KPAI urged the strengthening of regulations and routine supervision so that incidents of violence in childcare settings do not recur due to administrative negligence and a lack of state oversight.