Breadth first traversal in PLSQL (How to implement Queue?)

I have a table with a unary (recursive) relationship that represents a
hierarchy. With the gracious help of Mike Rylander I was able to port a
TSQL function that would traverse "up" the hierarchy to PL/SQL. Now I
need help porting the "down" the hierarchy function.

As implemented in TSQL I utilized a simple breadth first tree traversal.
I'm not sure how to replicate this in PL/SQL as I haven't figured out
how to implement the queue required for the breadth first algorithm. My
queue is declared "queue SETOF INTEGER" and I'm able to "SELECT INTO"
this variable. However when I try to delete the "current" value, I get
a syntax error. If I comment the delete out, I also get an error when I
try to fetch the "next" value from the front of the queue.

Below is the function, followed by the psql output:

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION svp_getchildproviderids (INTEGER)
RETURNS SETOF INTEGER
AS '
DECLARE
parent_provider ALIAS FOR $1;
cid INTEGER;
queue SETOF INTEGER;
BEGIN
SELECT INTO cid count(*) FROM providers WHERE uid =parent_provider;
IF cid = 0 THEN
RAISE EXCEPTION ''Inexistent ID --> %'', parent_provider;
RETURN;
END IF;
cid := parent_provider;
LOOP
EXIT WHEN cid IS NULL;
RETURN NEXT cid;
SELECT INTO queue uid FROM providers WHERE parent_id = cid;
DELETE FROM queue WHERE queue.queue = cid;
SELECT INTO cid * FROM queue LIMIT 1;
END LOOP;
RETURN;
END;' LANGUAGE 'plpgsql';

sp_demo_505=# select * from svp_getchildproviderids(1);
ERROR: syntax error at or near "$1" at character 14
CONTEXT: PL/pgSQL function "svp_getchildproviderids" line 16 at SQL
statement

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