'Children of the Underground' shares story of mom's fight to hide kids from abuse

NEW YORK -- It was a story that grabbed headlines and sparked fierce debate.

A mother -- failed by the legal system -- took up the cause of other mothers and children with her own form of vigilante justice.

"Children of the Underground" tells the story of Faye Yager's efforts to protect sexually abused children by helping them flee.

The new five-part docuseries premieres Friday night on FX and will stream on Hulu.

The trajectory of Yager's life changed forever when she caught her ex-husband in the act of molesting her daughter.

She was determined to not let what happened to her child happen to anyone else.

"Children of the Underground" tells the story of the network that Yager built.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Yager's organization helped parents and their children go into hiding after fleeing an abusive parent.

The underground sought to protect families when the legal system had failed to do so.

"She protected them as if they were her own children," Michelle French said.

French is Yager's daughter and a survivor of abuse. She is featured in the docuseries alongside other survivors who share their emotional stories, including their disillusionment with a family court system they call "broken."

"We want to work on legislation to actually physically change the system," French said.

Yager's fearless fight for families landed her in the headlines and ultimately in court.

"Children of the Underground" allows those who had a front row seat to tell the important story.

Executive producers said they wanted to allow Yager to have the last word in the story telling.

All five episodes premiere back-to-back on Aug. 12 starting at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FX and will stream next day exclusively on Hulu.