Violence at Yogya Daycare, Hasto Prepares Alternative Location

Yogyakarta Mayor Hasto Wardoyo will assist in preparing an alternative childcare or daycare facility following the revelation of alleged child abuse and neglect at Little Aresha Daycare in Yogyakarta City. This replacement daycare will temporarily accommodate children who were previously placed there and now lack a facility after the site was sealed by police on Friday, 24 April 2026. “We from the government will endeavour to facilitate the search for a replacement daycare for the affected victims’ parents,” Hasto said after meeting with parents from Little Aresha Daycare at the Mayor’s Official Residence in Yogya on Sunday, 26 April 2026. In that opportunity, Hasto stated that this situation is an emergency because the majority of the victims’ parents are workers who need a safe place to entrust their children the following day. “Working parents naturally feel confused about where to place their children tomorrow. So, this replacement daycare is, in our view, an important matter,” he said. As a short-term solution, Hasto mentioned conducting quick data collection and finding a suitable and trustworthy childcare facility. He stated that he will soon identify other daycares deemed reliable, safe, good, and healthy for the children’s growth and development. In addition to providing replacement facilities, Hasto has instructed his subordinates to conduct a sweep or inspection of all childcare facilities in Yogyakarta City. “Especially sweeping daycares that do not have official permits,” he said. This sweeping and inspection process is targeted to be completed in a short time to ensure the legality and operational standards of each institution. “We estimate we can check each daycare one by one soon, so within a short time, at most two days, we will already know the status of all existing daycares,” he said. The case at Little Aresha emerged after several parents revealed the distressing conditions experienced by their children. Noorman Windarto, one of the victims’ parents, even likened the conditions inside the daycare to Guantanamo prison due to the inhumane treatment. Noorman revealed that his child suffered injuries on the back, lips, body, and groin, and was diagnosed with pneumonia since the age of three months. Similar concerns were expressed by Antok, another victim’s parent who had placed his child there for three years. He felt suspicious because his child’s weight had not increased significantly, so he worried that the child would experience stunting. “Our child’s condition is more related to their weight, like it’s stuck like that, no improvement, we’re worried it’s heading towards stunting,” Antok said. Antok added that the daycare side always gave varying excuses whenever injuries were found on his child’s body. He hopes that law enforcement will be carried out as fairly as possible by the police and that the victims receive adequate psychological support.