Reflecting On Black History

Black History Month is an annual reflection, recognition and celebration of the achievements and contributions Black people have made to society.

It gives us a great opportunity to learn more about black history and appreciate its significance. This year's theme is ‘Honouring Our Communities’, celebrating the unsung people who build, support, and sustain Black communities throughout the UK every single day.

Throughout the country, everyday people quietly uplift our communities without expecting any recognition. From working in the NHS, to volunteering at local charities, these people are often the backbone of our communities.

Foster carers are unsung heroes, changing young lives for the better every day. Beyond offering a safe, welcoming home, they create a stable foundation where children and young people feel secure, valued, and supported. Acting as mentors and advocates, foster carers provide guidance, helping the children and young people in their care build confidence, giving them every opportunity to reach their full potential and thrive.

Fostering is an incredibly important and rewarding role, but there is an ongoing need for more foster carers from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

In March 2025, a higher proportion of children looked after were from an African/Caribbean/any other Black background, Mixed or another ethnic group compared to the general child population in Wales*.

Placing children from ethnic minority backgrounds with families of similar heritage offers significant benefits. Studies from Community Care Inform and the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) found that placing Black children in Black families can help them develop a positive sense of identity and self-esteem. This is because these children are surrounded by people who look like them and share similar experiences.

Additionally, young people can benefit from having role models and mentors who understand their unique needs and challenges, which can help them in gaining a deeper feeling of belonging and understanding. It is therefore vital that we continue to recruit and empower carers from every background to ensure the best matching possible for foster children, so that we can continue building brighter futures.

If you live in South East or West Wales and are a member of the BAME community, we would love to hear from you.

We need more people from different cultures to come forward and help provide loving homes for some of the most vulnerable children and young people across Wales. Calon Cymru foster carers are provided with local, comprehensive around the clock support, and an abundance of training and other benefits.

*Children looked after by local authorities: April 2024 to March 2025 (gov.wales)