Hinckley police and local non-profit Voices of Change 2018 create resource for families reporting abuse of a child with disabilities

HINCKLEY TWP. — Local nonprofit Voices of Change 2018 has collaborated with the Hinckley Police Department to create a binder full of resources for families who report that their child with disabilities is being abused to help them navigate the process. Voices of Change 2018 was founded by Nicole Moehring, and the Hinckley-based organization seeks to reduce the risk of abuse of children with disabilities. Moehring said the nonprofit started after her children experienced sexual abuse. Her son has autism and a genetic disorder called fragile X syndrome. It was difficult for her to find support and information to navigate the system for his case. "I had to keep digging and digging and digging," she said. "(It was) time I should have been spending with him, helping him and our family recover." Talks of a collaboration between Hinckley police and Voices of Change 2018 started about two years ago, Hinckley Detective Jeff Kinney said. The community binder came to be after Moehring compiled the materials she gathered and showed Kinney. "I thought it was just a great idea as far as resources for parents that are going to start through this path, unfortunately," he said. "It gives them some place to go and gives them the knowledge that they're not the only ones that are trying to navigate their way through this." Some of the resources included in the binder are articles, contact information for local organizations, QR codes of the Ohio Administrative Code and the Ohio Revised Code, lists of who is a mandated reporter and more information on what the next steps are after reporting. "I'm not saying services aren't out there, there are, but they're just not at the tip of your fingertips," Moehring said. "I wanted it to be available for people, and in the same breath, I also wanted there to be some sort of a guide and resources that parents could navigate through." The behavior log is another tool in the binder. She said it was a tool that was instrumental in her son's case because it showed any patterns or commonalities in his behavior. "If you're tracking this information, it can help in the healing process," Kinney said. The collaboration is important because certain procedures are in place for child abuse cases, and the binder guides parents through that process, he said. "These perpetrators need to be held accountable, and more and more they're not being held accountable," Moehring said. "The more resources we can get out there and the more collaborations we can have with police departments as a united front in the community, the more success rate we could have." The official binder just launched, so none have been handed out yet. Kinney said families in need will be given it after talking to police about their situation. Many questions that parents may have should have answers in the binder. "I explain the process as best I can, and if I feel the book is appropriate, I'll hand them one as they're walking out the door," he said. He said the goal for the program is to expand to other police departments in Medina County, and he would like to see it go to departments all over the country. "I think this still has such a stigma attached to it," Moehring said. "We need to remove that because this is a global epidemic, and in order to remove the stigma, we need to talk about it." Moehring can be reached at nmoehring@voicesofchange2018.com or (440) 864-7074, and Kinney can be contacted at jkinney@hinckleypd.us or (330) 278-7162 for more information. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.