My Wellpoint Care Why: Board Member James Madlom

Foster parents are at the core of Wellpoint Care Network’s mission of helping children and families thrive. They are essential to providing kids in our community a safe and nurturing home.

That’s how Board Member James Madlom first became connected to the organization.

“When my wife and I were just dating and envisioning our future together, we knew that we wanted to be foster parents. My grandmother, my father’s mother, had gone back to school after her kids were grown to get her nursing license, and it was with the express purpose of being able to care for medically needy youth in foster care. So when we would go back to my dad’s home in Iowa to visit my grandparents, we would meet different kids every time — the current children in her care. The love and care that she showed to each one of those kids, and the difference that she made in their lives, was incredible. We saw firsthand that it was a blessing not only for the children, but for my grandmother as well and really everyone involved. So that was a big inspiration for us that this was something we wanted to be part of our story.”

So, when the time was right, Madlom and his wife became licensed foster parents through Wellpoint Care Network (at the time SaintA).

“Right away, it was an incredible experience” said Madlom. “You grow to love these kids that are placed in your home with you. You become parents instantly and all the things that go with that. Our first placement we ended up adopting. We’ve gone on to adopt all three of our kids from foster care. Our oldest and youngest are full biological siblings. Wellpoint Care was with us through every step of this journey. Today, we have a family with three beautiful teenagers and we are so blessed to be able to be parents to these young men and women. Wellpoint Care was transformational in their lives and transformational in our lives.”

That support and guidance is Madlom’s Wellpoint Care Why.

“Wellpoint Care Network transforms lives and communities in Wisconsin daily through its unique, trauma-informed approach to child and family services. It’s the recognition that not only is it important for us to treat those who have experienced trauma with care, but for us to find ways as a community to prevent trauma from occurring in the first place.”

As CEO of Mueller Communications, Madlom has also enjoyed being able to shine a light on the impact Wellpoint Care Network has on the children and families in Wisconsin. He decided to continue that service seven years ago when he joined the Board of Directors.

“I like to spread the word about the great work happening at Wellpoint Care,” added Immediate Past Chair of the Board Madlom. “We always need people to support our Youth Transitioning to Adulthood program, which is incredibly valuable in supporting youth who have been in foster care and are aging out of the system. For those of us who have kids of that age, we know they still have so much learning and growing to do and support is so critical to that. From finding stable employment to safe housing and ways to fund higher education, access to resources is so important.”

Get Involved! Wellpoint Care Network serves more than 7,500 individuals across Wisconsin annually, and with your help, we can reach even more.

Together, we can create a world where every child and family can thrive.