"It looks bad to give what appears to be an incentive for states to have more adoptions," Anderson said. "But that money supplants money a state has already spent and helps build on a system that has shown it can get kids placed and not kept overly long in foster care."

National and state child welfare reform since 1994 has pushed to end letting children languish in foster care.

But several parents claim the reform has given states a license to kidnap children and terminate parental rights without due process.

Steve Russell is an attorney who represents parents claiming to be falsely accused of abuse and who this spring won on appeal a medical neglect case in Layton. He said no matter how DCFS phrases things, there is a bounty on removing children.

"No one's accusing them of profiting from the situation, and no one's saying the state gets a kick out of taking kids," Russell said. "It's a hard job and one I don't want. But the financial incentives built into the system are based on splitting up families, not keeping them together."

Accountability Utah says the next step in the reform effort will be a town meeting on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 9:30 a.m. in the Salt Lake City Main Library auditorium, 210 E. 400 South.

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E-mail: jthalman@desnews.com