Sultan HB X Requests Regents to Issue Circular Halting Illegal Daycare Operations
The Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY), Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, has instructed all regional heads in regencies and cities to immediately issue a Circular Letter (SE) prohibiting the operation of illegal or unlicensed daycare centres for children.
“I request (the regency/city governments) to quickly prepare that circular letter (prohibiting unlicensed child care),” said the Sultan on Wednesday, 29 April 2026.
The Sultan’s instruction follows the emergence of a case of abuse and violence against dozens of children at the Little Aresha daycare in Yogyakarta City last weekend.
The King of the Yogyakarta Palace also urged regency and city governments to actively inspect the permits of child care facilities in their areas.
“I hope the regency and city governments also conduct operations (to crack down on daycares). Check for any illegal ones that do not provide good services,” he stated.
He believes that unlicensed daycares have the potential to cause problems due to minimal supervision. The public often falls for promotions without checking their legality.
The Sultan underlined that illegal daycares often use tactics in their promotions to lure working parents, offering flexible drop-off times until late at night or low costs, while ignoring child protection standards for purely commercial gain.
“Illegal ones usually have issues; if they want to operate properly, they would be legal. So if it’s found to be illegal, close it temporarily until the legality is sorted,” he said.
The Sultan also warned regency and city governments to act firmly and without hesitation when encountering daycares that are reluctant to obtain permits.
“As long as they don’t want to become legal, they shouldn’t operate, so such incidents (of violence against children) don’t happen again,” said the Sultan.
The Sultan urged the public using daycare services to be vigilant and critical of promotions that seem unrealistic.
“For example, if they offer flexibility, children can be dropped off until 10 p.m., but the cost should also be increased accordingly. It’s impossible otherwise,” he remarked.
The Sultan expressed astonishment that such actions were carried out systematically by women who should possess maternal instincts.
He also highlighted the lack of empathy from the perpetrators who treated underage children inhumanely.
“I’m astonished that this was done by mothers. Don’t they have children of their own? Treating underage children like that. I don’t understand who they are,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) reported that the impact of the violence at the daycare was very widespread and had been ongoing for a long time.
LPSK Deputy Chair, Sri Suparyati, stated that there is potential for up to 103 child victims who are now experiencing psychological disturbances to nutritional growth impediments or stunting.
Sri explained that the victims’ parents had not known about the conditions inside the building because access was strictly limited by the foundation.
“We are currently reviewing protection requests and encouraging the victims’ families to immediately report to the police to secure restitution rights or compensation from the perpetrators,” she said.
LPSK also detected indications of public deception regarding the fictitious facilities offered by the perpetrators. This will be reported for further investigation by law enforcement authorities.