Representatives of the organization that originally brought the lawsuit praised the settlement as a rare success story in which a case was able to bring about systemic change though cooperation and participation on all sides.

"It's unusual that the parties will be as successful as these parties have been in completely reforming a state's system," said John O'Toole, director of the National Center for Youth Law. "Both sides are confident that these reforms can endure."

He said continued commitment of resources is key to sustaining the current system, a point Betournay also made recently with lawmakers.

"Your investment into this system has been huge, and it's paid off in big, big ways," he said. However, he added, the progress "will erode over time" if funding is cut once the pressure of court oversight is lifted.

Betournay's concern is shared by street-level DCFS workers, Cole said. "Yes, there has been some concern, and we're hoping that they don't. We've started to feel like we're doing social work now, as opposed to just going through the motions."

Significant cuts in funding could result in fewer caseworkers and an increased caseload for those who remain, she said. When Cole first started at DCFS, she was expected to handle up to 30 cases per month. That number has dropped closer to 15.

"There is no way, no way at all, that I could handle that many cases, even with the added experience that I have," Cole said. "The expectation is a lot higher for the work that we do."

While discussing the David C. settlement earlier this month, members of the Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel pledged their continued support to the current system.

"We cannot rest on our laurels on this thing," said Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City. "If we don't stay on top of it, we'll be right back where we started a number of years ago."

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com