Violence Threatens Children in Daycare

For nuclear families living in urban areas where both parents must work to earn a living, the presence of childcare centres or daycares is extremely helpful. Daycares serve as substitute institutions to replace the parenting role for families without relatives to help supervise their children.

Not a few families are willing to spend a certain amount of money to ensure their children are safe and supervised while parents are at work. Entrusting children to a daycare near the office or workplace is a solution to meet the urgent need for safe and quality childcare.

However, lately, a question has arisen: are daycares truly safe places to entrust our children, or does placing children in daycares actually pose a number of risks? This question emerges because, not long ago, another case was revealed of children becoming victims of violence while entrusted to daycares.

The Yogyakarta City Police Resort recorded 53 toddlers experiencing violence and inhumane acts by caregivers at a childcare centre or daycare in Yogyakarta. The police have named several suspects after completing all investigation procedures. Police officers directly observed the conditions of the children who were treated inhumanely at the childcare centre named Little Aresha.

At that daycare in Yogyakarta, the children were gathered in a room measuring about 3 metres by 3 metres without adequate bedding, most of them just lying on the floor. One room with a fan was filled with up to 20 children, the majority under two years old. Alarmingly, several children had their hands and feet tied. Of the 103 children entrusted there, it is suspected that physical violence occurred against several children, as evidenced by injuries on their bodies.

According to Parmonodewo (2003), daycare essentially refers to organised childcare facilities, usually during working hours, to assist parents who cannot provide full care. It is a place outside the home that functions as a complement to parental care. Meanwhile, the UN (1990) defines daycare as group childcare operating during working hours, especially when parental care cannot be fully provided. In the eyes of the public, daycares are often understood as integrated services encompassing care, education, health, nutrition, and facilities to help busy working parents.

The presence of daycares is generally as a complement to parental care, not a total replacement. Typically, daycares accommodate children during parents’ working hours. On average, children placed in daycares are aged 4 months to 29 months. The purpose of daycares is to provide a safe, educational, and structured environment for young children. In addition, daycares are designed to be an engaging, enjoyable, and comfortable environment for children’s development.

The problem now is whether the presence of daycares has been running as expected? It turns out not always. Before the Yogyakarta daycare case exploded in the public eye, one that had previously been in the spotlight was the Wensen School Daycare in Harjamukti, Cimanggis, Depok. In 2024, the owner, Meita Irianty, who happens to be an influencer, was named a suspect for assaulting toddlers in Depok. Meita Irianty was stated to have assaulted a 2-year-old toddler with initials MK and another 9-month-old toddler, HW. In various daycares, the children who become victims and often experience violence are generally those under two years old. This is suspected because they cannot yet tell or complain about the treatment to their parents.

Data from the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) records that around 44% of daycares in Indonesia do not have permits or legal status, and only 30.7% have operational permits. Amid conditions where not all daycares are properly registered, the need for childcare services is high. The Ministry of PPPA states that about 75% of families in Indonesia need alternative childcare. From a governance perspective, around 20% of daycares do not have SOPs, and 66.7% of management staff are not certified. Meanwhile, 12% have registration marks and 13.3% are legal entities.

So far, parents have generally been grateful for the presence of daycares near their workplaces. Not a few parents view daycares merely as “child minders” while they work. This view is clearly misguided. Quality daycares actually function as structured non-formal Early Childhood Education (PAUD) facilities.

First, the greatest benefit of daycares is socialisation. Children entrusted to daycares interact with their peers every day. They learn to share toys, queue, empathise, and resolve small conflicts independently. This is the first “school of life” that helps build crucial social skills before they enter kindergarten or primary school. The trend of daycares proliferating is increasingly widespread due to indications of growing public interest in entrusting children to daycares.

Second, the structured routine will accustom children to a more orderly and disciplined life. Unlike at home where eating or sleeping patterns might shift, daycares provide a strict schedule: learning time, playtime, lunch, and nap time. This structure helps children build good habits and discipline from an early age. However, the problem is that overly rigid daycare socialisation patterns could potentially risk causing