Since being elected to Parliament, Ann has raised the serious issue of the harbouring of runaway children. While in some cases a person or family may be providing necessary shelter to a child who has runaway from familial abuse or neglect, too often those harbouring runaway children are taking advantage of the child’s vulnerability

Many cases involve young teenage girls who have been lured away from the family home by older men. These older men may have encouraged these kids to stretch the boundaries and rules of the family, to create conflict within the family, and then encourage the young girls to move out of home and live with them. Too often, drugs and alcohol used as a grooming tool. In other cases, children have been lured away by their peers, who have often already found themselves in a drug culture through other family or friends.

Many families who approach the Police of Families SA seeking assistance to remove their child from what are often dangerous situations and returned home are met with reluctance by the authorities to get involved. They are often told that it is just a phase and that they should be patient; they are told not to be too overbearing, or they are accused of being overprotective. This leaves the family in an untenable situation, where their parental authority and responsibilities are being undermined and diminished.

In 2008 Ann introduced the Children’s Protection (Harbouring) Amendment Bill, which sought, amongst other things, to increase Police powers to return children being harboured to their parents. To read Ann’s speech when introducing this Bill, please click here.

December 2009 - Ann's passes amendments in the Legislative Council

As you may remember, earlier this year Ann foreshadowed her intention to move amendments to the Government’s Statutes Amendment (Children’s Protection) Bill 2009 which will give parents greater access to the newly created Child Protection Restraining Orders.

Following negotiations with Government, Ann introduced four amendments, all of which were initially agreed to and passed by the Legislative Council. To read Ann's speech when introducing these amendments and other Members contributions, please click here.

However, the Government did not support two of Ann's amendments and instead proposed an alternative. Not wanting to cause the defeat of the Bill and recognising that the Government's alternative amendments - while not superior to her original amendments - were an improvement on the Bill, Ann withdrew her amendments and supported those of the Government.

Ultimately, parents now have a new tool available to assist in protecting their children when they are being harboured against the parents will and reasonable parental authority. This is intended to empower those parents who were providing a safe and loving home, and several safeguards exist to ensure that a child is not returned to family home when it is not in their best interest. To learn more about child protection restraining orders, please contact Ann.

The Independent Weekly recently reported on Ann’s amendments in the article Homecoming for Runaways.