A man who took in three siblings then sadly became widowed five years later is sharing his story and encouraging others to come forward and foster at a time when carers are in short supply.
Chris Sampson, 52 from Selby took in two sisters and their brother aged between 12 and 5 with his wife Suzanne in 2016.
The two sisters, Kelly and Izzy had been with one foster family, and brother Ethan, in another. The plan had been to reunite the siblings together, in one foster home, timed to coincide with the start of the school summer holidays.
Chris is a plumber and heating engineer and was able to take a couple of weeks off his work, so the whole family enjoyed lots of day trips and activities together. They were also able to get to know each other and sort out a whole range of holistic care for the children including medical and dentistry treatments, speech therapy, optical appointments, and psychological support.
Chris and Suzanne didn’t have children of their own, but loved the foster children as if they were their own. So too did their extended family who embraced them as their much-loved nieces and nephews, which helped the children settle in. However, Suzanne sadly passed after a short illness in November 2021 and Chris carried on fostering so he could continue what they started together.
Chris said: “Suzanne would organise everything and was at home most of the time with the children when I was out at work. It’s come full circle now and I’ve realised that I can do things I never thought I’d be able to. Learning to cope and do everything without Suzanne hasn’t been easy, but we both chose to foster and I want to finish the job we started together.
“The children have given me a sense of grounding and we’ve helped each other through the grief. We all love and miss Suzanne every day, but we’re learning together and are getting through each day.
Being a foster carer isn’t easy and there are challenging days, but there are lots of rewards too. The children are flourishing. Kelly is studying psychology and law at University, Izzy is studying animal welfare at college and Ethan is in year 7 and has just had a great school report. You get such a sense of pride seeing the kids grow and do well. It makes it all worth it – the end result is worth the effort you put in.
“I would say to anyone thinking of fostering – don’t let anything put you off. You might find that there’s more to yourself that you didn’t know you had in you. Yes, it’s a challenge and you need lots of patience, but every day is a learning day and you just keep going.”
Right now, due to the cost-of-living crisis and the effects of the Covid-19 – the number of potential foster carers coming forward is low. However, the number of children being taken into care in North Yorkshire has risen by 25% since 2019.
People from all walks of life and from different backgrounds are encouraged to see if fostering is an option for them. The key aspect to have is a passion to care for children. Foster carers can be single, have a disability and it does not matter what their sexual orientation or religious background is.
Caring for local children gives them a better chance of success in their placement as they will stay in local communities, keeping in touch with their friends. Keeping siblings together is vital too
There are opportunities for different types of fostering and Fostering North Yorkshire works with its foster carers to find the right fit for their own work and family commitments. This includes short break fostering or planned respite care – both of these are great options for busy adults who can only commit to a minimum amount of nights per year. There is also emergency care for those who can be there day or night to take in children at a moment’s notice
Whichever option appeals, carers receive full training and support to help turn young lives around. There are also tax-free payments and allowances for every night a carer fosters.
Change a child’s future in North Yorkshire. Visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/fostering to find out more or call 01609 534654 to speak to a member of the team.
*The names have been changed to protect the children’s identity and stock images used.
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