Lessons from the Jogja Daycare Case: The Vulnerability of Child Supervision

However, behind this, policy frameworks have not been matched by strict supervision, caregiver training standards, or adequate violence reporting systems. Take, for instance, the 2024 incident at Wensen School in Cimanggis, Depok, where the daycare owner abused two toddlers under her care. This case came to light through CCTV footage and reports from parents to the police and the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), resulting in a one-year prison sentence for the perpetrator and a mandatory restitution payment of Rp 300 million to the two victims. This tragic story did not end there. In the same year, another abuse case emerged at Kiddy Space in Sawangan, Depok. A caregiver scalded a one-year-old child with hot water out of frustration with the crying. This daycare was unlicensed and was temporarily sealed, while the perpetrator was arrested and charged under child abuse provisions—as if the violence scenario from Wensen School was merely repeated in a different location and form. Most recently, on 24 April, at the Little Aresha daycare facility in Yogyakarta, infants and toddlers were found tied up, placed in cramped rooms, and many of them only in nappies or left naked in small, overcrowded spaces. Caregivers are suspected of physically abusing these innocent children, while the supervision system completely failed to detect these practices from the outset. Of the 103 children who had been entrusted there, preliminary reports indicate that 53 suffered abuse, making this the most horrifying dark tragedy in Indonesia’s daycare history. While the public is still reeling from the Jogja case, just three days later, a video showing a caregiver abusing a toddler went viral on social media. The incident occurred at Baby Preneur Daycare in Banda Aceh, where CCTV captured a caregiver acting roughly towards a toddler being fed. Three caregivers were dismissed, and this unlicensed daycare was permanently closed by the Banda Aceh City Government. This string of cases can be read as a combination of weak supervision, failed organisational design, and economic pressures that damage caregiving relationships. Weak Supervision Victims aged 0-2 years are the most vulnerable group, heavily reliant on caregivers and parental oversight. The “mass entrustment” pattern at Little Aresha in Yogyakarta, for example, showed one caregiver handling 7-8 children, or even two caregivers for 20 children in one shift, making early detection of abuse nearly impossible. Under such pressure, management and daycare heads are indicated to have encouraged inhumane methods to control dozens of toddlers, rather than improving caregiver ratios, tightening standard operating procedures (SOPs), or strengthening supervision. Instead of making supervision with gentle care a protective element, management treats it as a cost burden, allowing abuse to go undetected for months. In many cities, daycares operate without national standards, making it difficult to detect irregularities or abuse early on. Based on data compiled from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), the Ministry of Manpower (Kemenaker), and the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos), approximately 98.79% of early childhood education centres (TPA) and daycares in Indonesia are under the private sector, with only a small portion run by the government, posing a major systemic supervision challenge. The absence of uniform regulations and minimal inspections allow many institutions to operate in a loose regulatory space, effectively beyond the reach of strong legal oversight. On the parental side, a culture of “blind trust” leads parents to often only assess facilities (air conditioning, CCTV, location) rather than daily caregiving processes, delaying reports when children show physical bruises, recurrent fevers, or emotional setbacks. Facilities are sometimes perceived as security guarantees, but unmonitored CCTV or reliance on “brand reputation” weakens both formal and informal supervision. Failed Organisational Design Caregiver violence against toddlers is not merely individual crime but a reflection of institutional failure at the foundation and management level. Perpetrators include foundation leaders, management, and frontline caregivers, clearly showing an organisational structure that ignores child care standards and allows abuse to occur without adequate control mechanisms. Based on research studies on child caregivers in institutions, work stress and burnout symptoms (physical, emotional exhaustion, and loss of interest) often arise from excessive workloads, lack of organisational support, and unavailable healthy coping mechanisms (Sembiring & Siregar, 2023; Zuhdi, 2023; Oktavia, Putri, & Sari, 2023). This phenomenon cannot be seen as mere impulsive acts but as the result of a system that “supports” deviations. Borrowing from Routine Activity Theory and Strain Theory, the caregiver’s authority as a “parental substitute” is often abused when there are gaping supervision gaps. High work pressure and minimal compensation create chronic emotional strain, which then normalises rough behaviour as an instant way to control situations. As a result, innocent babies become victims of a system’s betrayal that should protect them. Behind the loosely supervised daycare doors, caregivers find a “safe space” to vent work burdens and psychological frustrations. Figures who should be parental substitutes instead become sources of fear for those not yet able to articulate their pain. Economic Pressures On the economic side, daycare operators have strong incentives to accommodate as many children as possible to maintain income from monthly parental fees, without corresponding increases in caregiver numbers or enhanced child protection standards—a form of child care commercialisation that sacrifices victims’ basic rights.