NABLE to find suitable daycare or playgroups, a mother has turned to the newspapers to find friends for her four year old.

Jane Barnes, concerned that her daughter Emma is suffering by not being able to socialise with other children her age, recently placed an advertisement in , hoping to attract playmates.

It was a drastic measure, she admitted.

"I haven't managed to get her in a pre-school," she explained. "All the good ones are full, and I know why the others aren't.

"We tried one but she didn't like it. She wasn't happy and when I spent the next day there with her, I realised why she didn't. The good friends that we had with young children have left the island. I was left wondering, 'Where do I go from here'?"

Compounding the problem, she added, was the fact that she and her family ? husband Peter, and children Stephen and Emma Bates ? had moved around several times since they first arrived on the island six years ago.

"Our 14 year old is home-schooled," Mrs. Barnes said. "She's so isolated because she's stuck with us all day. Emma is very social and for her not to have a friend, I feel guilty. I feel I'm not doing right by her."

The mother of two ? who only recently sang her heart out while competing in , a web spin-off of the popular American contest which aired this summer on television ? wrote the ad with Emma's help.

It reads as follows:

'I'm Emma. I'm 4. I'm enthusiastic about most things and I love to sing. I like puppies and ponies, Disney princess stuff and Barbies, making things and cooking in my kitchen. I'm good at sharing and playing games. We live in Warwick.'

"She thought the ad was great," Mrs. Barnes added. "She was really enthusiastic about it. She picked out the picture and went through what things she liked and why she thought she'd be be a good friend," she explained.

Mrs. Barnes said the ad had already brought some response, however those interested in meeting a new friend, should still call her at 232-2218.