The new rule that means Kmart Australia can't announce it when your child is missing in store

The surprising reason Kmart are not allowed to announce when a child’s gone missing in store

Sydney mum shares her story - by Amy Sinclair

For many of us, hearing announcements at supermarkets and large stores over the loud speaker about a missing child were commonplace when we were growing up.

The alerts often saw the store share a description of what the child looked like and was wearing, as well as their age and name, meaning fellow shoppers could keep an eye out for the missing tot.

The surprising reason Kmart are not allowed to announce when a child’s gone missing in store

Well it seems such public alerts are now a thing of the past, with one Sydney mum revealing how she learnt of a new rule for retailers dealing with missing children in their stores after her son became lost at Kmart.

Sharing her experience on the Northern Beaches Mums Facebook group, mum Amy wrote: ‘My mum and dad took my 3-year-old son to Kmart today and my son decided to hide. He was missing for 15 minutes. My dad stayed at the front entrance to catch him on the way out if he tried to leave.

‘They asked to make an announcement and they were refused saying they couldn’t due to [a] child protection issue.

‘What else could be done in this situation to help find a lost or hiding child in a store?’

Many were quick to voice their surprise about the change in policy, with one saying: ‘I would of freaked ... if they can’t call it out where was the help.’

But another of the group’s members - who works in retail - was able to shed light on the new rule.

‘I work in a retail store and when we have a missing child, we call all available staff to the front and let them know the situation and then go looking for the child,’ she said. ‘We’re not allowed to announce that there’s a missing child anymore.

‘[It’s] because of Child Protection Policies. We used to announce what the child was wearing, but now we’re not allowed to even mention there’s a child missing.’

Amy Sinclair

Amy Sinclair is the editor of New Idea Food. She is a former weekly magazine editor who loves all things food, cooking and eating - especially the eating! When she's not looking after her three children, you'll find her in the kitchen or busily hiding online shopping purchases from her husband.