JAKARTA (August 28, 2019) – The Ministry of Social Affairs kept strengthening the social service for children. One of the reasons was the children were facing many real threats on their environment.

Social Affairs Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasimta stated that so far, the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation had developed 5 clusters of Social Rehabilitation Program (Progress 5.0), including child’s cluster.

“Special for children, the program named the Social Rehabilitation Program for Children (Progresa). Through this program, we attempt to provide assistance packages for children, child care, family support and therapy,” said the Minister, on the event of “One Day with Children 2019” in the Ministry of Social Affairs’ Office, Wednesday (28/09/2019). The Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII from the House of Representatives Republic of Indonesia Tb. Ace Hasan Syadzily also attended in this event.

The Social Affairs Minister stated that the country showed real action on child protection. Because, children were facing real threats which could be found on the middle of public life. “Such as Bullying, abuse, sexual exploitation, become the victims of drugs and free sex, suicide attempt, even exposed to radicalism and terrorism,” said the Minister.

The state protection towards children was directed to protect them so that their grown time was not disturbed, as the impact from their environment. “Do not let them have the possibility to become the perpetrator of violence when they grow up soon,” he said.

Along with that, the Minister said, The Ministry of Social Affairs ensured that all of assistance provided to children would run on right target, time, amount, benefits, and administration.

“Thus, all of the children assistance recipient data were recorded in Integrated Social Welfare Data,” said the Minister. The Directorate of Child Social Rehabilitation had integrated the social assistance with Integrated Social Welfare Data. “We have also assigned all of the Social Worker Serve Unit (Sakti Peksos) to respond to many children problems on the field,” the Minister adds.

According to the Social Affairs Minister, children had strategic value and unique characteristics. From the age perspective, they were a potential society and the successor to the nation’s ambition.” So, the nation’s future will be in their hands,” said the Minister.
Therefore, the Social Affairs Minister said, it needed special protection for children to ensure their physics, mentality and social thought so that they can fully grow up. “If the quality of the children is good, then the quality of life in the future will be better. Otherwise, if the children’s quality is bad, then the country’s future will be worse,” the Minister pointed out.

Moreover, the reasons for the children’s protection provided was because of child’s constitutional right. The Social Affairs Minister said, UUD 1945 Article 2B Section (2) mandated to the country to ensure every child’s right, without exception, such as the right for living, right for grows and thrives, right to have protection from violence, exploitation and discrimination, and right to participate optimally in accordance to human dignity.
 

Budget Decreases

To the media, the Social Affairs Minister admitted that the budget allocation for children’s protection in the State Budget of 2020 decreased by around IDR113 Billion, or almost 40 percent from last year. Therefore, the Minister kept working to open the discussion with the Ministry of Finance and the House of Representatives, so that the budget allocation for children’s protection was in the same amount with last year.

“We also persuade all stakeholders from local government, K/L, civil society, and the public to participate in protecting and fulfilling the children’s right,” said the Minister.

Commission VIII of the House of Representatives sent a serious note related to the reduction of children’s budget. Hasan Syadzily stated that children’s protection was the part of the country’s effort to prepare the competitive human resource for the future.

“We need to prepare a conducive ecosystem for children’s protection so that they can grow and thrive. With this budget reduction, we think that it will be difficult to handle the challenge from a children's perspective, where the children’s protection challenges will become more difficult. From the children’s violence, drugs, terrorism, education, health, etc.,” Ace said.

In the same opportunity, Director General of Social Rehabilitation Edi Suharto stated that the “One Day with Children” was the main event of 2019 National Children’s Day by the Ministry of Social Affairs which was held from the date of 22 until today, Wednesday 28 August 2019.

“One Day with Children is hold annually, involving the children, parents, and many other officials,” he said. In 2019, Edi said, “One Day with Children” were packed to be more sensitive with children's voices, provided an opportunity for children to made them appreciate life, play and learn and also involved the parents and teachers for improved the children’s protection.

This day’s activity was followed by 600 children consisted of 450 children from Junior and Senior High School, and 150 children from LKSA. The Ministry of Social Affairs delivered a Happy National Children’s Day 2019 greeting. Hopefully, the “One Day with Children” activity and the photo exhibition could bring happiness, joy and deep meaning for all Indonesian Children, especially for those who followed this activity.
 
Head of Public Relation Bureau of Ministry of Social Affairs Republic of Indonesia

Sonny W. Manalu