The Challenges Daycare Centres Face in Obtaining Permits

The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (Kemen PPPA) records that approximately 44% of all existing daycare centres lack permits or legal status. However, public demand for daycare services has increased in recent years.

Republika contacted one daycare operator in Jakarta to inquire about the process of obtaining permits. According to the information obtained, many daycare owners still face difficulties in securing business permits for such operations.

The daycare operator recounted that they established the service in 2015. From the outset, they set it up as a legal entity in the form of a foundation to ensure legal safety.

Subsequently, they attempted to obtain a daycare permit from the local kelurahan (sub-district office). However, based on information from the kelurahan, they could not issue an operational permit. This was because a daycare must have at least 20 children and have been operating for two years beforehand to qualify for a permit.

“That’s a bit odd, isn’t it? It’s like you just start operating from the beginning without any paperwork. Then, once you have many children, you get the permit,” the operator told Republika.

As a result, for the first few years, the daycare operated only with the legal status of a foundation. Eventually, the daycare relocated and sought permits again.

At the new location, the operator once more investigated obtaining an operational permit for the daycare in 2019. However, the process was hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Consequently, the permit application was only resumed in 2021.

According to the operator, they visited the local kelurahan to apply for the daycare permit at that time. However, the kelurahan staff stated that the foundation’s legal status was sufficient.

“So it really wasn’t addressed, because they said they didn’t understand,” the operator said.

Shortly after, a case of violence occurred in a daycare environment. Suddenly, officials from the local kelurahan visited the operator’s daycare because it lacked a permit. Yet, the operator had previously approached the kelurahan to apply for one, but it was not addressed by the staff.

“In the end, we finally started the process,” the operator said.