While critics may jump to quick conclusions of an overzealous system looking to yank children out of homes permanently, Anderson said the reality is kids who languish in foster care for years are irreparably harmed.

"Children are only children for a short period of time," he said. "The goal is to help them be happy, capable, productive adults someday."

That can't happen, he added, if reunification with the parents is out of the question and the future is an endless stream of foster homes.

Utah's child welfare system came under attack last year after the parents of Parker Jensen, then 12, were caught up in a custody battle with the state when they refused to obtain chemotherapy for their son.

Doctors said he had a rare form of cancer that, if left untreated, would jeopardize his life. His parents sought alternative care, but were still threatened with losing custody if they didn't comply with officials' demands. The case was resolved when the state backed off, but the battle sparked a continuing controversy over the rights of parents versus the interest of the state in protecting children.

As a result, more than 50 child welfare bills were introduced in the 2004 Legislature, many of which attempted to grant parents more protections.

Many of the more substantive measures failed, something Anderson said he believed was a reflection of a system, that in the big picture, embraces an appropriate balance.

"All that I had to do (during the session) is tell the truth about what is happening in the child welfare system," he said. "People began to learn about the system and understand."

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E-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com