"A restructuring of DCFS might be appropriate, but we need a lot of discussion on it. The issue that we strongly disagree with is that our agency is out of control. We strongly disagree we are not responsive to the needs of families."

Trupp said DCFS is dismayed at the timing of the call for change because it comes when the agency is implementing its own changes in the way it does business.

"We're constantly hearing how we yank kids out of homes for no reason, but the data doesn't support that we are doing that," Trupp said, adding that Utah has one of the lowest rates in the nation for the percentage of children removed from homes because of neglect or abuse.

The state received more than 19,000 abuse reports last year, according to DCFS records. It ultimately removed 1,914 children. Of children removed from home, 35 percent are eventually returned to their parents.

"I think there has been a feeling from a lot of people that DCFS takes action in too many cases, gets involved in places where they really don't belong," Trupp said. "But for every one of those cases that appear, there are people who are saying the division doesn't get involved enough to protect children, that we need to be more aggressive. The bottom line is that it is a balancing process."

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E-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com