Childcare institutions in Indonesia: children's rights, welfarist approaches and well-being

This paper provides an analysis related to the welfarist approach and rights-based approach in childcare institutions. Under the rights framework, it analyses how childcare institutions insufficiently address the child's well-being and focuses more on the child's welfare. From the welfarist approach, the child's well-being has become a major concern in the national development agenda, however, the problem is the welfarist approach focusing on general welfare which is much narrower than the child's well-being.On the other hand, the rights-based approach sees the importance of realizing the child's well-being in state policies and practices as one of the indicators of the child's welfare. In doing so, this research reflects on the development of childcare institutions in Indonesia that are working under the social welfare framework. The expansion of childcare institutions in Indonesia bring a concern on the child's well-being. This study discusses the issue of the child's well-being from both an international and Indonesian context. The paper concludes by highlighting how the childcare institutions in Indonesia are more focused on the welfare rather than well-being of the child. Moreover, it addresses the need for development interventions to support childcare institutions having a clear care plan which emphasizes the child's well-being.