Group of mothers with common foe: DHS and its 'adversarial system'

Group of mothers with common foe: DHS and its 'adversarial system'

It's a motley crew that meets regularly in the shabby, red-brick storefront in Germantown that is the humble home of the Crossroads Women's Center: Young and old, black and white, high-school dropouts and MBA-holders, activists and just plain angry folks.

But all are mothers, and they're united by a fierce determination and a common loathing. Their foe: The city's Department of Human Services.

"It's a totally adversarial, punitive system that really wants to separate you from your child," said Mary Kalyna, an activist in the growing "DHS - Give Us Back Our Children" effort based at the center.