Shaping Character Early: Why Daycare Quality is Crucial for Children's Future

The rising number of dual-income households has increased demand for childcare services.

Amid these societal changes, the need for daycare facilities – which provide care, supervision, and education for infants and preschool-aged children – is growing.

In Indonesia, the term ‘daycare’ lacks a specific definition. Daycare and Taman Penitipan Anak (TPA) are often conflated, despite differences in regulation and service scope.

Under Government Regulation No. 17 of 2010 on Education Management and Implementation and Ministry of Education and Culture Regulation No. 84 of 2014 on Establishing Early Childhood Education Units, TPA is a non-formal PAUD service providing education, childcare, and protection for children aged 0-6.

Meanwhile, ‘daycare’ has no specific regulatory definition. In this context, daycare refers to temporary childcare services when parents are working, with varying scopes: some include education, others focus solely on care.

According to theory, daycare is one of the closest environments influencing a child’s development.

Child and adolescent psychologist Ruang Mekar Azlia and Depok Regional Technical Implementation Unit for Women and Child Protection (UPTD PPA) expert Dhisty Azlia Firnady stated that daycare should not be viewed merely as a place to leave children when parents are at work.

“Daycare has the potential to be a key environment influencing a child’s development,” she said in a written statement received by Kompas.com on Monday, 25 May 2026.

Therefore, Dhisty emphasised that daycare quality must be assessed not just by facilities, but also by daily care and interaction quality.

A longitudinal study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) found that quality daycare contributes to language development, cognitive abilities, and school readiness.

“Children learn through daily interactions. Simple activities such as eating together, playing, tidying up toys, or interacting with peers are crucial parts of the learning process,” Dhisty said.

She also noted that misconceptions about daycare’s function persist.

Dhisty added that many still see daycare as merely a place for “supervision” or “babysitting”, whereas childcare encompasses a much broader meaning.