Supporting Academic and Administrative Staff through On-Campus Childcare Facilities

Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta demonstrates its commitment to gender equality, employee well-being, and a family-friendly academic environment through the provision of childcare facilities for faculty members and administrative staff. The University recognises that balancing professional responsibilities with childcare can present significant challenges for working parents, particularly women who may carry substantial caregiving responsibilities alongside their teaching, research, and administrative duties.

To address these challenges, the University provides daycare services coordinated by its Center for Gender and Child Studies (PSGA), helping parents manage childcare responsibilities while remaining engaged in university activities. During 2024–2025, UIN Jakarta expanded its childcare provision, reaffirmed its institutional commitment to supporting working parents, and documented the actual use of its daycare services by both academic and administrative personnel. These initiatives contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality by promoting family-friendly working conditions and supporting women's continued participation in higher education employment.

1. Institutional Provision of Childcare through PSGA

The University's childcare programme is coordinated by the Center for Gender and Child Studies, which contributes to the development of gender-responsive and family-friendly initiatives across the institution. The daycare programme aims to provide an organised childcare environment for young children while their parents undertake professional and academic responsibilities. For faculty members, childcare provision is particularly relevant to maintaining teaching schedules, supervising students, conducting research, and participating in academic meetings.

For administrative personnel, accessible childcare can help support regular working hours and continuity in university services. The programme therefore addresses a practical institutional need by connecting childcare support with the daily responsibilities of employees. Through PSGA, the University has incorporated childcare provision into its broader institutional efforts to support working parents and promote women's participation in professional life.

2. Expanding Campus Daycare Facilities in June 2024

On 2 June 2024, PSGA collaborated with the Faculty of Medicine to officially inaugurate a daycare facility at UIN Jakarta. The inauguration involved representatives of University leadership, PSGA, and the Faculty of Medicine.

The initiative was intended to strengthen the University's development as a women-friendly and child-friendly campus. During the event, University representatives explicitly recognised that childcare responsibilities can affect lecturers' ability to carry out their teaching duties. They also highlighted that the daycare initiative could help educators remain focused on their responsibilities by providing a nearby childcare option. The programme was especially intended to benefit parents, including working mothers, who require support while undertaking activities at the University. The official inauguration demonstrates that UIN Jakarta implemented a childcare facility intended to support faculty and other working parents during the 2024 reporting period.

3. Documented Use by Female Academic Staff

Evidence of the daycare's contribution extends beyond its establishment and institutional objectives.

A 2025 qualitative field study conducted at UIN Jakarta documented the experiences of parents whose children were enrolled in the University's daycare programme. One participant was a female lecturer from the Mathematics Study Programme who had used the daycare service for her child since September 2024. During an interview conducted on 15 April 2025, the lecturer explained that the daycare's proximity to her workplace and its operating hours helped her manage childcare while fulfilling her teaching responsibilities.

The service opened at approximately the same time as her morning teaching activities, reducing the logistical difficulties associated with arranging childcare outside the University. She also identified the benefits of being able to monitor her child's development while remaining close to her workplace. This documented experience provides direct evidence that the University's daycare facility was used by an academic staff member and supported the practical management of teaching and childcare responsibilities. The account demonstrates that the programme had an identifiable user among University faculty during the reporting period.

4. Documented Use by Female Administrative Staff

The same 2025 study also documented daycare use by a female administrative staff member working at the Faculty of Dirasat Islamiyah. In an interview on 16 April 2025, the staff member explained her reasons for enrolling her child in the University's daycare service. Her account described the importance of providing the child with opportunities for structured activities and social interaction. She also noted the practical convenience of having the daycare located near her workplace.

This proximity allowed her to maintain awareness of her child's daily activities while undertaking administrative responsibilities. The interview provides direct evidence that the daycare was accessible to and used by a member of the University's administrative personnel. Together, the documented experiences of a Mathematics lecturer and a Faculty of Dirasat Islamiyah administrative employee demonstrate actual childcare service use by both faculty and staff during 2024–2025.

These findings strengthen the evidence that the programme served its intended institutional beneficiaries.

5. Providing Childcare during University Working Hours

The 2025 field study documented that UIN Jakarta's daycare programme operated on weekdays.

The reported operating schedule was:

• Monday–Thursday: 07:30–16:00 WIB.

• Friday: 07:30–16:30 WIB.

These hours were aligned with the University's regular daytime working activities. The study also described childcare provision for children approximately two to four years old. The daycare offered structured activities intended to support children's development, including educational play, storytelling, social interaction, basic skills development, physical activities, and age-appropriate religious learning.

For working parents, the combination of daytime childcare and structured activities provides practical assistance while they undertake their institutional responsibilities. By operating during standard university working hours, the facility responds directly to the needs of lecturers and administrative personnel who require childcare support during the working day.

6. Paid Childcare Services with Daily and Monthly Options

UIN Jakarta's daycare operates through a paid childcare service model. The 2025 field study included an interview with the Head of PSGA and person responsible for the daycare programme on 10 April 2025. The interview documented that parents were required to complete registration and could select either daily or monthly childcare arrangements. Parents then paid the applicable fee according to the selected attendance arrangement.

The availability of different payment and attendance options provides flexibility for employees with varying childcare needs. Daily childcare may accommodate occasional working commitments, while monthly arrangements may be more suitable for employees with regular weekday schedules. The 2025 evidence establishes that the daycare was a paid service offering daily and monthly arrangements. The publicly reviewed 2025 sources do not establish a definitive fee schedule or the number of academic and administrative employees using each arrangement.

Accordingly, the University can document the existence of paid childcare provision without presenting unverified tariff figures.

7. Strengthening the University's Family-Friendly Campus Commitment

On 17 December 2024, UIN Jakarta collaborated with the Indonesian Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection to declare its commitment to developing a women-friendly and child-friendly campus. The declaration identified daycare availability as one of the University's principal commitments. This commitment was accompanied by initiatives supporting the prevention and handling of violence and the development of gender education.

By including childcare availability in its institutional declaration, UIN Jakarta demonstrated that childcare support formed part of its wider approach to gender-responsive university development. The declaration reinforced the importance of creating an environment in which working parents can pursue professional responsibilities without overlooking the well-being of their children. It also positioned daycare provision as an institutional support measure connected to the University's broader objectives concerning women's empowerment and family welfare.

8. Contribution to SDG 5: Gender Equality

During 2024–2025, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta demonstrated the implementation and practical use of childcare facilities supporting faculty members and administrative staff. The University's PSGA-coordinated daycare programme was expanded through the inauguration of a facility at the Faculty of Medicine in June 2024.

The December 2024 declaration of a women-friendly and child-friendly campus further established childcare provision as a recognised institutional commitment. Most importantly, field research conducted in 2025 documented childcare use by both a female lecturer and a female administrative employee.

The study also described weekday operating hours, structured childcare activities, and daily and monthly paid attendance arrangements. These documented initiatives demonstrate that Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta provides paid childcare facilities that are accessible to faculty and administrative staff and are actively used to support their professional participation.

Through its childcare services, the University contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 5 by reducing practical barriers associated with caregiving and supporting a more inclusive, family-responsive academic working environment.

Source : 
https://www.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/id/kolaborasi-psga-dan-fk-uin-jakarta-daycare-pertama-resmi-dibuka 
https://www.repository.uinjkt.ac.id/dspace/bitstream/123456789/89229/1/CD%20FIX%20SKRIPSI%20DITA%20ARDIYANI.pdf 
https://uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/id/sambut-hari-ibu-uin-jakarta-bersama-kemenpppa-ri-deklarasikan-kampus-ramah-perempuan-dan-anak