The Dormitory-Based Child Care Strengthening Program, held as part of the partnership between the Master of Social Welfare Program and Sekolah Rakyat (SR) Purwomartani, took place on Monday (9/12) with the aim of enhancing the capacity of educators and caregivers in implementing effective child-care practices within a dormitory setting. The event began at 08.00 WIB and was attended by participants from diverse educational and social backgrounds, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing child well-being through collaborative academic–community initiatives.

The program commenced with participant registration, followed by an opening led by the master of ceremonies and the singing of the Indonesian national anthem, Indonesia Raya. In his remarks, the Head of the Master of Social Welfare Program, Dr. Muh. Ulil Absor, S.H.I., M.A., emphasized the importance of strengthening educators’ competencies in addressing the complex challenges faced by children and adolescents living in dormitory environments. The Principal of Sekolah Rakyat Purwomartani, Mr. Dwi Priyana, also highlighted the need to create a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment for children from diverse family backgrounds.

After the welcoming session, participants joined a documentation and group photo segment as a gesture of collaboration between the study program and SR Purwomartani. The core session featured a presentation by the main speaker, Dr. Asep Jahidin, M.Si, who is also a lecturer in the Master of Social Welfare Program. He delivered an in-depth explanation of strategic approaches to dormitory-based child care, stressing the importance of fulfilling children’s rights, strengthening caregiver–child relationships, and enhancing institutional capacity to respond to children’s psychosocial dynamics.

The discussion session was highly interactive, with participants raising questions about challenges in institutional child care, child protection concerns, and effective intervention methods for supporting children at risk. This exchange of ideas broadened participants’ understanding of responsive, safe, and welfare-oriented child-care practices. As a follow-up to this partnership initiative, the Master of Social Welfare Program will carry out a series of ongoing mentoring activities with Sekolah Rakyat Purwomartani. This mentoring will focus on strengthening institutional capacity, providing advanced training for caregivers, and developing a context-appropriate model of dormitory-based child care tailored to the unique needs of SR Purwomartani.

The program concluded at 11.05 WIB. The organizers expressed hope that this collaborative effort and the subsequent mentoring will serve as a solid foundation for building safe, responsive, and child-centered care practices across various educational and social institutions.