"These children need to be in families, because that's where they're going to thrive. "

Stephanie Scott, who joined the Ministry Spotlight, is the Recruitment Administrator for Camelot Care Centers in Tennessee. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of her interview.

Tell me about Camelot Care Centers.

There are 42 Camelot Care Centers across the country. Our services vary according to what part of the country you're in. I work in the area of child welfare.

For those children who have been removed from the home, our job is to find foster homes for them to live in until they can go back home or until they're adopted.

My hope is to reach out to the faith community to see if we can't do some collaboration to find homes for these children.

Where do you find foster families?

A lot of foster care agencies have been around for a while, and of course the best source for marketing is the foster families themselves.

They have families and friends, and whatever fears those people may have, they're more willing to do it because they see that it's successful.

What makes a good foster parent?

A lot of different characteristics. Some of them are more common-sense. Being flexible, being open-minded. Having a willingness to work with an agency.

Having your friends describe you as confident and self-assured. Being spiritual or religious. All those things are important.

It's also important that you are able to delay gratification, because a lot of these children come in and they're not grateful for the service that you're providing. You have to be able to understand that this is not about you.

What is the biggest challenge foster parents face?

I just got back from attending a conference in Franklin, TN for adoptive parents. I was stunned how many of them said their biggest challenge was a lack of support from their own family. A lot of times they had to rely on each other or their case worker.

And of course, there are some frustrations with the legal system. Some children are returned to the birth family, or have extended visits with the birth family, and that can be a demand.

What motivates foster parents.

I think most importantly is for them to realize that these are children in their communities, right around the corner or several miles down the road, whose needs aren't being met.

Every child deserves a home. And there is someone in that community who can provide that home. It's one of the best things for your own children to see you reaching out like that.

Do you see this working?

We do. That's why I do this work. I was in this for 15 years, and then I took a break before coming back. Most of what's important, the healing that occurs in families, is still the same.

These children don't need to be in group homes. They need to be in families, because that's where they're going to thrive.