The research highlights that while Indonesia has comprehensive child protection policies, formal institutions often struggle to reach communities living in informal settlements. In these settings, long-term trust, community engagement, and continuous local presence become more influential than administrative systems alone. The findings are particularly relevant for policymakers, social organizations, and development practitioners seeking more effective models of urban child protection.
Why the Research Matters
Rapid urbanization has created pockets of poverty where many families live outside the reach of regular government services. The settlement surrounding Rangkah Public Cemetery (TPU Rangkah) in Surabaya represents one such environment.
Approximately 60 children live in this cemetery-based settlement, where they face overlapping challenges including limited access to education, inadequate sanitation, poor nutrition, insecure housing, and incomplete civil registration. Many children also grow up in an environment with very limited recreational space, using narrow alleys and cemetery grounds as places to play and socialize. Some even help cemetery visitors with grave maintenance or other informal activities to support their families.
Although Surabaya has received national recognition as a Child-Friendly City, the study demonstrates that achievements at the municipal level do not always translate into equal protection for children living in marginalized neighborhoods.
A Simple Look at the Research
The researchers conducted a qualitative case study focusing exclusively on the Rangkah Public Cemetery settlement.
Information was gathered through:
- In-depth interviews with representatives from government agencies, universities, businesses, community organizations, and media.
- Participatory field observations.
- Analysis of government regulations, demographic records, and media reports.
The collected information was then compared and analyzed to understand how different stakeholders collaborate in protecting vulnerable children. Rather than measuring statistics, the study explored how collaboration actually functions in everyday practice.
Community Organizations Become the Real Coordinators
One of the study's most significant discoveries is that collaboration does not follow the balanced Pentahelix model often described in public administration theory.
The Pentahelix framework normally involves five key actors:
- Government
- Universities
- Businesses
- Communities
- Media
Instead of sharing responsibilities equally, the research found that Komunitas WEPOSE Indonesia has become the central coordinating organization connecting all other stakeholders.
Beyond delivering educational services, WEPOSE Indonesia organizes literacy programs, character education, anti-bullying campaigns, digital safety education, health initiatives, sanitation improvements, and partnerships with universities, companies, and journalists. The organization has effectively become the bridge between vulnerable families and formal institutions.
Government Participation Remains Procedural
Government agencies continue to play an important role, particularly through the Surabaya Office for Population Control, Women's Empowerment, and Child Protection (DP3APPKB). However, the study found that government intervention is often limited by administrative procedures.
Many children living near the cemetery lack complete civil registration documents or are not fully included in Indonesia's national social welfare database. Without proper documentation, accessing education, social assistance, and other government services becomes significantly more difficult.
As a result, community organizations frequently identify vulnerable children before government agencies become involved, making local organizations essential partners in initiating child protection interventions.
Universities, Businesses, and Media Strengthen the Network
The research also highlights valuable contributions from the remaining Pentahelix actors.
Academic institutions, particularly students from Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), organized interactive learning programs that improved children's confidence through creative activities, hygiene education, and introductory English lessons.
Private companies contributed through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives by providing nutritious food, educational support, and participation in community programs.
Meanwhile, journalists from Suara Surabaya and Jawa Pos focused on reporting stories that emphasized children's resilience and community transformation instead of portraying poverty alone. Their reporting helped increase public awareness while respecting ethical standards in covering vulnerable children.
Trust Matters More Than Formal Structures
Perhaps the study's most important conclusion is that successful collaborative governance depends more on social trust, continuous presence, and close relationships with the community than on formal institutional design.
According to Aura Juliza Putri and Dr. Agus Widiyarta of Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur, the experience at Rangkah Public Cemetery demonstrates that community organizations can become the effective coordinators of child protection when government institutions face structural limitations. Their findings challenge the traditional assumption that governments always serve as the primary coordinating actor in collaborative governance.
Rather than functioning as a perfectly balanced partnership among five equal actors, the Pentahelix model in this case has evolved into a community-centered system built on sustained local engagement and mutual trust.
Implications for Public Policy and Society
The findings offer several practical recommendations for improving child protection in marginalized urban communities.
Government institutions should strengthen their long-term presence at the community level instead of relying primarily on administrative procedures.
Universities are encouraged to develop continuous community engagement programs rather than short-term service projects.
Businesses could expand CSR activities into longer-term social investment initiatives that strengthen community organizations instead of providing one-time assistance.
Media organizations are encouraged to move beyond event-based reporting and maintain continuous attention to child welfare issues.
Most importantly, successful grassroots organizations such as WEPOSE Indonesia deserve stronger institutional recognition, stable funding, and formal partnerships because they have demonstrated their ability to coordinate collaborative child protection efforts where formal systems alone have proven insufficient.
Author Profile
Aura Juliza Putri is a researcher in the Public Administration Program at Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur. Her research interests include collaborative governance, child protection, community empowerment, and public policy.
Agus Widiyarta is a lecturer at Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur specializing in public administration, collaborative governance, public policy, and government management.
Source
Putri, A. J., & Widiyarta, A. (2026). Pentahelix Collaboration in Child Protection within a Marginalized Cemetery Settlement: A Case Study of Rangkah Public Cemetery, Surabaya, Indonesia.
Journal: Formosa Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, Vol. 5 No. 6 (2026), pp. 1711–1726.
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