KPAI Reveals Many Daycare Centres Operate Without Permits

The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) has reported findings from its supervision that a number of daycare centres operate without permits or with weak legality and frequently have a business-only orientation. “In our supervision focus areas, we found daycare centres without permits or with weak legality, meaning what the management does tends to be uncontrolled, and often the orientation we encounter is purely business,” said KPAI Chairman Aris Adi Leksono during a working meeting with Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives in Jakarta on Tuesday, 9 June 2026. His team also found that child protection policies in a number of daycare centres remain weak. “Their safe child safeguarding is weak and inadequate. This means the effort to establish a strong, comprehensive protection system for children in daycare centres is still very weak,” said Aris Adi Leksono. The competence of childminders is also insufficient, and the carer-to-child ratio does not meet standards. “The childminder ratio is inadequate, meaning that with a certain number of pupils, the number of carers is relatively few. It is reasonable to suspect this is done in order to generate profit,” said Aris Adi Leksono. KPAI also criticised central and regional governments, which tend to only take action after a particular case goes viral on social media. “The state, in this case the central and regional governments, only moves after something goes viral. So, the systemic steps still need to be strengthened,” said Aris Adi Leksono. KPAI conducted child protection supervision in daycare centres in five areas: Depok, Pekanbaru, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, and Banda Aceh. Previously, cases of child abuse occurred at the ‘Little Aresha’ daycare in Yogyakarta and the ‘Baby Preneur’ daycare in Banda Aceh, which came to light in April 2026.