Daycare Violence Scandal Forces Yogyakarta Govt to Find Safe Childcare

5 hours ago 8

April 27, 2026 | 07:25 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Yogyakarta Mayor Hasto Wardoyo will help prepare an alternative childcare facility after the exposure of alleged violence and child neglect at the Little Aresha Daycare in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

The substitute daycare is intended to temporarily accommodate children who were previously entrusted there and have now lost their place after the location was sealed by the police on Friday, April 24, 2026. "We from the government will try to facilitate the search for substitute daycares for the affected parents," Hasto said after meeting with the parents from the Little Aresha Daycare at the Yogyakarta Mayor's Residence on Sunday, April 26, 2026.

During the meeting, Hasto said that the situation is an emergency because the majority of the affected parents are workers in need of a safe place to entrust their children for the following day. "Working parents certainly feel confused about where to leave their children tomorrow. Therefore, we consider the substitute daycare as something important," he said.

As a short-term solution, Hasto stated that there will be quick data collection and efforts to find suitable and trustworthy childcare facilities.

He stated that he will soon identify other daycares that are considered reliable, safe, good, and conducive for the development of the children.

In addition to providing alternative facilities, Hasto also instructed his staff to conduct a sweep of all childcare facilities in the Yogyakarta area, especially those operating without official permits. "Especially sweeping the daycares that do not hold official permits," he said.

The sweeping process and inspections are targeted to be completed in a short time to ensure the legality and operational standards of each institution. "We estimate that we can soon check each daycare, so within a short time, at most two days, we will already know the status of all the daycares," he said.

The case at Little Aresha came to light after several parents revealed the distressing conditions their children experienced.

Noorman Windarto, one of the parents of the victims, even likened the conditions inside the daycare to the Guantanamo Camp prison due to the inhumane treatment.

Noorman revealed that his child suffered injuries to the back, lips, body, and groin, and was diagnosed with pneumonia since the age of three months.

Similar concerns were voiced by Antok, another parent who had entrusted his child to the daycare for three years.

He became suspicious because his child's weight did not significantly increase, and he worried that his child would suffer from stunting. "The condition of our child is more related to his weight, like being stuck without any improvement, we are worried about stunting," said Antok.

Antok added that the daycare always provided varying reasons each time injuries were found on his child's body.

He also hoped for a fair enforcement of the law by the police and for the victims to receive adequate psychological support.

Read: Local Police Name 13 Suspects in Yogyakarta Daycare Abuse

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Local Police Name 13 Suspects in Yogyakarta Daycare Abuse

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