A foster carer who took in three siblings before losing his wife five years later is encouraging others to come forward and foster at a time when demand is dramatically increasing.
Chris Sampson, 52, from Selby, took in two sisters and their brother aged between 12 and five with his wife, Suzanne, in 2016 for Fostering North Yorkshire.
The two sisters, Kelly and Izzy had been with one foster family, and their 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 took time off work so the whole family enjoyed a lot 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.
The couple did not have their own children but decided to embrace fostering. Their extended family were also welcoming to the foster children, which helped the children settle in. However, Suzanne sadly passed away after a short illness in November 2021 and her husband carried on fostering so he could continue what they started together.
In the run-up to Father’s Day on Sunday (18 June), Chris is sharing his story for the first time and the reason he continues to foster as a single carer.
He 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 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.”
Due to the cost-of-living crisis and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, 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 per cent since 2019.
Executive member for children and families, Cllr Janet Sanderson, said: “We’re so grateful to Chris and for everything he has done for the foster siblings he is caring for.
“He has made such a positive impact in their lives. He could have easily given up his role of foster carer when Suzanne passed, but he has such a strong dedication to the children in his care.
“We have 330 children living with our foster families in North Yorkshire. Many people have misconceptions about fostering such as you need to be married with a spare room. We know that our children are unique and that is what we look for in the background and experience of our carers.”
People from all walks of life and from different backgrounds are encouraged to see if fostering is an option for them. 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 regular sleepovers – both are great options for busy adults.
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 our Fostering page to find out more or call 01609 534654 to speak to a member of the team.
Fostering North Yorkshire runs regular drop in and chat sessions.