The existence of daycare is now crucial; its presence cannot be underestimated. More than just a daycare center, this place is also expected to provide growth and development stimulation benefits for children and make parents not worry when leaving their children at work.
Daycare is more than just a place to leave children while parents work. Daycare is an environment specifically designed to help children grow and develop optimally.
For women in particular, daycare is a form of alignment, especially for working mothers, so they can continue balancing their careers and families.
It was six-thirty when Erlina Sari took her daughter, Kandiana Zia, on her motorbike to the daycare center for female workers in the oil palm plantation area.
In the courtyard of the landfill, where there are many trees and flowers, the caregivers are waiting with a smile and a wave.
“Every day, I take my child to Daycare, and then she goes to school with the school bus facilitated by the Company. My child Zia has just entered kindergarten, which is also an educational facility owned by the Company,” Erlina said after dropping off her child at the Daycare.
Erlina is one of the parents who has been sending her children to the Daycare since her second child, Zia, was 1.5 years old. In the past, she also left her first child there, who is now 11 years old. So, for approximately 13 years, she has been utilizing the facilities provided by her company in the form of daycare, or what is currently popularly called daycare.
Erlina is the wife of Suwanto; Erlina and Suwanto are employees who work in the palm oil plantation of PT Perkebunan Lembah Bhakti (PLB), a subsidiary of PT Astra Agro Lestari (Astra Agro), a harvester in Aceh Singkil.
He and his wife are trusted to leave their children at the PT PLB’ Daycare facility before work and pick them up after work. This parent of two children admitted that he is very grateful and helped by the facility.
“I can help my husband in fulfilling household needs thanks to the Daycare facility from PLB; the staff is very trustworthy, the place is comfortable, my two children are witnesses to the success of Daycare in helping parents take care of and educate children, while their parents work,” said Erlina.
According to her, it is difficult for her, let alone a woman, to get and keep her job. Many factors make women have limitations if they work, especially about who will look after the children.
However, at PLB, she feels supported by various policies prioritizing gender equality so women can still work, including providing daycare facilities.
“This facility makes it easier for me, particularly as a worker so that I can support my daily needs. Moreover, we are not charged any fees for enrolling the children here,” she said.
This daycare is located in the settlement of employee houses spread across various plantation areas of PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk (Astra Agro). For the Aceh area itself, there are around 20 daycare scattered throughout PT in the Aceh area, including in the Aceh Jaya area, at PT Tunggal Perkasa Plantations 3 (TPP3), PT Karya Tanah Subur (KTS) in West Aceh, including in Aceh Singkil PT Perkebunan Lembah Bhakti (PLB).
It has various facilities, such as a playroom with various educational play equipment and a play yard in the garden equipped with playgrounds such as swings, slides, seesaws, restrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and other necessities. The daycare has been designed and constructed to create safety and comfort.
Daycare aims to fulfil children’s needs for early education, play activities, and adequate rest time while parents work. Children who can be entrusted to Daycare range from 1 year old to kindergarten or a maximum of 6 years of age.
The caregivers at the daycare are have been selected by the company’s recruitment system, along with the kindergarten teachers, nurses at the garden polyclinic (polibun) and local posyandu (integrated medical service post) cadres.
Erlina, who collects loose palm fruits from the bunches daily, said that her son really benefited from the daycare, which act not only as a place for him to play when he is not with his parents but also as a second home.
“Often, my child does not want to be taken home when I pick him up. Even when my husband and I are off, he still asks to be taken to the daycare because he is so happy to be there with his caregivers and friends,” concluded Erlina.
One of PT PLB’s daycare officers, Lamria Sinamo, confirmed that the children were happy to play together at the daycare. They were so excited to gather with their friends, with various activities and games provided.
“This daycare is an early school for children, by teaching activities and learning for their age, such as praying, singing, toilet training, brushing teeth, and routine health checks and child development,” she explained.
Collaborating with garden doctors, local health centres, and schools ensures that children’s essential health, education, and entertainment needs are met even when their parents are not always present.
Meanwhile, Yuslinar, the caretaker of one of the TPAs at PT Karya Tanah Subur (KTS), West Aceh, said she was happy to do her job. She is pleased to be able to help parents take care of their children when they have to work temporarily.
For Yuslinar, the children at the PT KTS landfill are considered her children who must be given the best attention and love possible.
“I witnessed how daycare not only helps employees to work more optimally but also helps children in the process of growing and developing,” said Bu Yul, as children and other caregivers call her.
She admits to being very happy every time a new foster child enters the daycare and even sad when children have to graduate because they can no longer be at the daycare to continue to a higher level of education.
Daycare is one of Astra Agro’s facilities provided for children of employees and non-employees. For example, if one of them (father or mother) works in an Astra Agro plantation and the other does not, they can use this daycare facility.
Moreover, educational facilities such as school buildings, school buses, scholarships, posyandu, and other basic needs support are obtained as the company’s responsibility in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which is divided into four pillars: Education, Health, Environment, and Economy.
The provision of landfill facilities is also in line with the campaign to implement programs related to the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) of Astra Group. Astra Agro is no longer a new thing; it has become a culture that has been implemented for a long time to continue striving to create a safe, comfortable, and friendly environment for women and children. (*)
