Lack of Quality PAUD, Thousands of Children at Risk of Missing Optimal Growth and Development

Plan Indonesia and Rawa Badak Selatan Local Government Promote Access to Quality Early Childhood Development for 1,200 Children

Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia), in collaboration with the local government of Kelurahan Rawa Badak Selatan and supported by bioMérieux, launched the Mari Bersama Meningkatkan Edukasi Anak & Parenting (MEKAR) programme today (17/04) at the Kelurahan Rawa Badak Selatan Office Hall. The programme aims to strengthen early childhood education and parenting, with the potential to reach 1,200 children aged 0-6 years, 800 parents, and 150 cadres.

Quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) is one of the priorities in Indonesia’s human development agenda, as reflected in national development planning. However, access to ECD services is uneven, and parents’ knowledge of appropriate parenting practices still needs to be improved. In Rawa Badak Selatan, quality
quality education facilities remain a challenge mainly due to limited financial resources of families. In addition, only 22.5% of ECD centres are accredited with national quality standards.

At the launch of the programme, Koja Sub-District Head Samsu Rizal Kadafi, represented by Community Welfare Section Head Dewi Esa Marlina, fully supported the MEKAR programme, to improve the welfare of children in Rawa Badak Selatan and ensure more integrated education for parents.

‘Today, we can collaborate with cross-sectors and work together for this programme. We also hope that it will be useful and achieve satisfactory results,’ said Dewi.

Kelurahan Rawa Badak Selatan has been the target of Plan Indonesia’s community sponsorship since 2021 to build an enabling environment for children’s welfare. Rawa Badak Selatan Urban Village Head Yuyun Wahyudi, represented by Rudi, Head of Government Section of Rawa Badak Selatan Urban Village, said that children’s welfare must also be supported from the aspect of integrative education.

‘Education is important for community members, not only the responsibility of the government, community, but also parents. So the synergy between parties is the key to improving the quality of children’s education,’ said Rudi.

Executive Director of Plan Indonesia, Dini Widiastuti, explained that the programme is in line with Plan Indonesia’s commitment to fulfilling children’s rights in health and education through improving positive and holistic parenting behaviours.

‘We learnt from various good practices in other regions that show the importance of the capacity and role of cadres and parents. This approach needs to be adapted in Jakarta, where population density and socio-economic conditions often limit children’s space and opportunities to develop optimally. Through the use of the Holistic Integrative Parenting module (BKB HI) developed by Plan Indonesia, which has now been adopted by BKKBN and disseminated to 34 provinces, we encourage an approach that places family and community as the main foundation in supporting child development,’ said Dini.

‘Plan Indonesia pays attention to the needs of children by providing educational game tools (APE), story books, and stationery for PAUD so that children are more developed and better prepared for primary school,’ said Neneng Surayani (59 years old) as the Head of BKB PAUD CITRA, a participant in the ROAM programme.

The MEKAR programme will focus on child development through holistic and positive parenting while improving the quality of PAUD and optimising Child Friendly Integrated Public Spaces (RPTRA) as alternative locations for parenting classes and early childhood education.

Communities, including local organisations such as the Village PKK, Dasawisma, neighbourhood PAUD managers, the Indonesian Early Childhood Educators and Education Association (HIMPAUDI), Karang Taruna, and academics, including volunteers from university students will also be involved in programme implementation. In addition, the programme will support sub-district governments in developing strategies and budgeting for ECD to ensure sustainability after the programme ends.

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Note to Editor:

About MEKAR

Early childhood development (ECD) in Rawa Badak Selatan (RBS), North Jakarta, faces challenges such as
limited access to quality education services, childcare challenges, and underutilisation of public spaces (RPTRA and community centres).
public spaces (RPTRAs and community centres).

The Mari Bersama Meningkatkan Edukasi Anak & Parenting (ROAM) programme focuses on improving parenting practices and
development for children aged 0-6 years in 11 RW communities in Rawa Badak Selatan, North Jakarta.

About Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia)

Plan International has been working in Indonesia since 1969, officially registered as a national foundation named Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia) since 2017. Our organizational purpose is to strive for children’s rights and equality for girls. As part of that effort, we work with youth to ensure their meaningful participation in the decision-making that impacts their lives.

Plan Indonesia, as a member of Plan International Inc., has child sponsorship as a core program. The sponsorship program currently assists more than 32,000 marginalised girls and boys in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province. This program is committed to delivering the children’s basic rights to access a birth certificate, basic vaccines, clean water, sanitation & hygiene and education.

In total, Plan Indonesia’s work on children’s rights and equality takes place in eight provinces and focuses on seven thematic programmes: Stunting Prevention, Elimination of Violence against Children and Youth, Adolescent Health, Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship (YEE), Resilient School, Gender-Responsive Disaster Preparedness and Humanitarian Response and Youth-led Climate Resilience. representation. These programs aim to enhance leadership capacity, agency, and social movements, engaging and targeting 3 million girls to achieve equal power, equal freedom, and equal representation. For more information, visit: plan-international.or.id

Media contact

Annisa Hanifa, Programme Communication Specialist
Email: [email protected]; WA: 081807805393