Scott, that's how I'm already doing things, but I was looking for something with even fewer clicks. Sorry if I wasn't explaining it very well. I was looking for exactly what rendernyc said - I thought there had to be a way to snap a layer to parent like in most other 3D apps.
Just tested, and that is awesome, it works great. And location stays put after unparenting. Can't believe I didn't know that
-T