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When the call comes, Daisy Combs of Millington has a place in her heart and home for the children of Queen Anne’s County. Combs was recently named the 2012 Foster Parent of the Year by the Queen Anne’s County Department of Social Services.

According to Carol O’Donnell, Resource Home Worker with the Queen Anne’s County Department of Social Services, at a recent event honoring the county’s foster parents, “It is rare if Daisy doesn’t have a foster care placement in her home. In 26 years of serving as a resource home for the county, she has fostered 79 children of all ages.”

O’Donnell acknowledged Combs special gift of enabling the Queen Anne’s County Department of Social Services to keep many sibling groups in foster care together over the past 26 years. She adds, “Daisy has been at her full capacity of four children on many occasions so that children do not have to be separated. She has also always been instrumental in working with other foster parents and the Department to coordinate visitation of sibling groups if all the children are not placed in her home.”

When asked about why she became a foster parent, Combs comments, “I had the time and wanted to do something for kids.”

Combs says she keeps doing foster care because she knows it matters for the children she has in her care. She has kept a list of every child who has been in her care over the 26 years she has been licensed and keeps in touch with some of them. She states, “The care goes beyond when I had them. The best part is getting that phone call from a foster child after they leave, thanking me for what I did for them. I know that I was able to be there and fill the gap for them.”

O’Donnell adds, “What is also special about Daisy is that she completely understands the need for children to stay connected with their biological families while in care. She is very professional in handling concerns for the children she cares for. She also provides respite for other foster parents who need a day away from their duties.

Currently, Ms. Combs is the central meeting spot for four children who were placed in two different homes for adoption. She remains in contact with each adoptive family and facilitates visits between the two as often as possible. Ms. Combs is an invaluable member of our foster care team.”

For further information about becoming a foster parent, contact the Queen Anne’s County Department of Social Services at (410) 758-8000.

In Photo: Pictured left to right are Cathy Dougherty, Director of the Queen Anne’s County Department of Social Services; Daisy Combs of Millington, 2012 Queen Anne’s County Foster Parent of the Year; and Carol O’Donnell, Resource Home Worker with the Queen Anne’s County Department of Social Services.