CARING Louvaine and Mike Tracey have helped almost 100 children over 25 years as foster parents. But now they are retiring from fostering to spend more time with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mrs Tracey, 61, and Mr Tracey, 63, started fostering 25 years ago in Port Talbot and continued when the couple moved to Newport. After looking after almost 100 children over the years, the couple are ready for a break. But Mrs Tracey told the Argus she was sad at leaving a job she loved. She said: "It started after we saw an advert in the paper in Port Talbot wanting people to look after a little girl. "Mike and I discussed it and talked about it with our other four children and we went for it and haven't looked back. "We have fostered almost 100 children mainly pre-school children and teenagers for as little as a night to years." The couple, from Coedkernew, have also adopted three of the children they fostered, taking their family to seven children. Mrs Tracey said: "It was a whole family decision to foster, it has to be because it is so important, but we have all loved doing it and we will all miss it - even my grandchildren will miss the other children being here. "I just feel that now I am 61 I need to do a few other things." But Mrs Tracey loves children so much, she has said she may volunteer to help with children in schools or projects. She said: "If I was years younger I would still be doing it, but I think 61 it's time to finish. "It becomes a way of life, a very busy way of life but has being great and we have all loved it over the years, some times have been hard saying goodbye but it has been very special." Mrs Tracey said goodbye to her last foster child last Thursday and is now looking forward to visiting relatives.