A GRANDMOTHER who has been fostering children for more than 25 years has backed a call for more potential parents to step forward.

Doreen Sillman, of Abingdon, believes there is ‘good in everyone, it is just a matter of finding it.’ The 77-year-old, who has three children of her own and has fostered more than 70 youngsters over the years, organised a coffee morning in the Abingdon Guildhall to get more people into the profession.

Oxfordshire County Council employs 325 carers across the county but is on the lookout for a further 25.

Mrs Sillman, who received an MBE for her work in 2007, said that since she began fostering in the mid-80s, children’s care needs had changed greatly.

She said: “When I first started out, children were coming to us perhaps because mum had just had a baby, or maybe because there was some domestic abuse, and it needed some time to resolve itself.

“But these days it is mainly drink and drugs.

“Young people these days seem to have a lot more problems. I feel for them.”

Mrs Sillman said when she and husband Peter began fostering, they mainly took on babies and young children, but soon realised some of the most needy were teenagers.

She said: “I never thought I’d be taking on teenagers when I set out to do this. But bringing up my own kids, it makes you realise that teenagers need a lot of support, and have a lot to give.

“At first it was hard when you have to hand children back, especially babies.

“When you’ve walked the room with a baby at night trying to get it off to sleep it can be hard not to get attached at first.

“I always say to myself when I hand a baby over for adoption, please let them go to a good, happy home.”

Mrs Sillman said there was no one type of person best suited to the job, but she believes it should be a full time role and not juggled with other jobs.

She said: “You need to be there for the children. I make sure I am there when they get home from school so I can ask them how their day was, and let them know I’m always here if they want to talk.

“It’s not an easy job, but it is an incredibly rewarding and wonderful thing to do.”

Maria White, of Oxfordshire County Council’s fostering team, added: “We need a diverse range of people with different skills and qualities to come forward so that more children are placed in the right home, first time – whether it is for a short or long period, or carers who can help out just at weekends.”

awilliams@oxfordmail.co.uk To find out more, call 01865 323127 or email maria.white@oxfordshire.gov.uk