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Enforcing childcare as a primary necessity
Economically disadvantaged women who are unable to bear expensive childcare are forced to opt out of the labor market in order to fulfill their household obligations.
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Learning time: Kids participate in preschool activity. Expense and the lack of access to daycare centers are blamed for the low participation of women in the labor force. (Shutterstock/anek.soowannaphoom)
T
he cost of childcare has skyrocketed in Indonesia. Private childcare facilities charge approximately Rp 3 million (US$ 184.58) per baby per month. Similarly, in Jakarta, childcare expenses are soaring, reaching approximately Rp 4.6 million per month.
The expenses exclude additional costs, such as enrolment and activities fees. In one year, parents may have to spend up to Rp 61.5 million for childcare per kid, almost equivalent to the tuition for higher education.
Childcare services with decent facilities are often followed by a higher price, whereas low-cost childcare is often questioned in terms of its adequacy. A study conducted by the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) in 2021 found that 44 percent of childcare services do not have licenses. The lack of childcare licenses impacts the quality of facilities offered, which is also proved by this study that 20 percent of childcare observed is of poor quality.
Although the quality standard has been administered under the Education and Culture Ministerial Regulation No. 137/2014 on the national standards of early childhood education, childcare with inadequate facilities still mushroomed.
Unlicensed childcare often lacks standards of safety, health and other facilities, such as clean and safe rooms, restrooms, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, as well as a sufficient ratio of children to caregivers. Nevertheless, this type of childcare is typically more affordable.
Costly childcare services trigger access disparities between low-income and high-income families. Low-income families often find it difficult to access decent childcare services. As a result, low-cost childcare services with inadequate facilities are seen as substitutes. Utilizing such services also constitutes neglect of children's safety.
The escalating charge of childcare has a profound effect on women's lives. In a country still rooted in a patriarchal culture, often forcing women into primarily fulfilling domestic duties, such as cooking, cleaning, childbearing and child-rearing. Economically disadvantaged women who are unable to bear expensive childcare are forced to opt out of the labor market in order to fulfill their household obligations.
