All mums should be made to feel special on Mother's Day.

But Thelma Young, 54, of Church Walk, Worthing, deserves more than just a bunch of flowers tomorrow for her mothering skills.

Over the past 34 years she has fostered more than 500 children as well as bringing up six of her own, two of them adopted.

She also has nine grandchildren, two of whom were born this January and February.

She cannot think of a time when her house has not been full of babies, toddlers and young children - and she still loves every minute of it.

Mrs Young said: "After all these years I still miss the children when they go but I'm very happy their little lives are sorted out because usually they leave me for adoption.

"I feel I have loved and looked after them when they are with me so it gives me great pleasure."

Mrs Young and her husband Lawrie, 59, are Brighton and Hove City Council's longest-serving carers.

They started fostering when their two eldest sons were aged two and three.

They didn't intend to have any more children but both are from big families and they had always had neighbours' and relatives' children round playing at the house.

A health visitor mentioned fostering and Mrs Young thought it would be nice to have a baby in the house again.

The first children she fostered came from a neighbouring family whose parents were having marriage difficulties.

Mrs Young said: "The couple asked if we would foster them and we did so we ended up with four children under four."

The Youngs' two adoptive children were both originally fostered by them as well. Their youngest son, now 21, who has special needs, came to them when he was six months old.

Because of the ethnic matching policy for adoptive children, social services wanted to place him with a black family. By the time he was seven they had still not found a suitable match and the Youngs decided they just could not part with him.

Mrs Young, who used to work as a nursery nurse, said she has always loved children and the rewards she gets from foster-care outweigh any of the difficulties.

She said: "Sadly a lot of the children are very damaged and they need lots of understanding.

"You have to be patient and listen to what they're saying." Mrs Young believes looking after children keeps her feeling young and intends to keep on fostering.

She will be getting her Mother's Day treat as well - a roast dinner cooked for her and Lawrie by her eldest son Scott.

For more information on city fostering, call 01273 295444.