The politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) expressed hope that the initiative, dubbed Prosperous Children’s Park (TAS), would alleviate the burden on parents whose children often spent their days unsupervised and lacked access to early childhood education due to financial constraints.

The TAS Arutala in Kebon Bawang features a playground, a classroom and a library, providing ample space for its current enrollment of 25 preschoolers.

During the launch event on May 5, Pramono said the facility was open to children from families registered on the Social Affairs Ministry’s Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) of poor and vulnerable families.

He told reporters that the program targeted “extremely poor families that truly cannot afford” early childhood education. Pramono also expressed his hope that such children would have better access to their future education through other educational assistance programs, such as the Jakarta Smart Card (KJP).

The free preschool program is a collaboration between the city administration and the local branch of the National Zakat Agency, and is supported by corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions from regionally owned enterprises (BUMD).

Jakarta aims to establish 44 TAS units across all five municipalities.

Jakarta Social Agency head Premi Lasari said TAS was modeled after day care centers, and that children enrolled in the program would be taught basic skills in reading and counting.

“It functions like a day care, where children learn from morning until afternoon. They study, play, receive meals and have their daily needs met,” said Premi.

“They also get uniforms. While there is no formal curriculum, the emphasis is on creating a joyful and nurturing environment,” she added.