"When you're a state-sanctioned warrior monk with a weapon at his side, trained in "aggressive negotiation," and capable of influencing people's minds ... yeah, they pretty much used force, or the implicit threat of force, to take those children*. Or they just paid the parents off. Either way, the idea of toddlers being raised by cloistered fanatical religious warriors is almost as offensive to me as Jar-Jar Binks."

It wouldn't even require that. Just think - people know what the Jedi are capable of. Would you, as a non-Force-user, feel comfortable trying to discipline a young Force user? Just think of what could happen to you. I wouldn't be surprised if some of those parents were throwing their children at the Jedi!