Edinburgh bids tearful farewell to incredible 234-time foster mum Janet MacNamara

Edinburgh will bid goodbye to an extraordinary mother at Mortonhall on Tuesday.

Janet MacNamara didn't mind getting up in the middle of the night to look after her young children.

Janet MacNamara MBE, who died at 80 on January 18, fostered 234 babies between their birth and adoption.

Those she fostered and their families are welcome at the 11am funeral.

“There will be a lot of people out there who knew Janet when they were babies,” said Ms MacNamara’s brother Douglas Couper.

Janet cared for hundreds of babies over the decades.

“She had a real bond with them, and the parents were so grateful. It would be wonderful if everyone who knew her were to come to the funeral.”

Ms MacNamara began fostering for the Catholic Adoption Society in the late 1970s.

She continued after the death of her own daughter Anne, and the babies “kept her going” when her husband Eric died in 2000.

“She didn’t seem to mind getting up in the middle of the night, it was just what she did,” said Mr Couper.

“She was alright with them leaving, as they went to a loving family. And there was always another baby

waiting.”

Were you one of the tots cared for by Janet during her remarkable life? If so, contact the Evening News on 0131 311 7538.