My Wellpoint Care Why- Board Vice Chair Melanie Maddux

Vice Chair Melanie Maddux joined Wellpoint Care Network’s Board of Directors about two years ago, but she’s been tied to the organization for longer than that.

“We were a foster family,” said Maddux. “Our three kids joined our family as foster placements and then we went on to adopt them, all through Wellpoint Care Network.”

For Maddux and her husband, Wellpoint Care Network’s Trauma Informed Care framework was a big selling point.

“We had always planned to adopt, but then we moved around a lot and the timing was just never right,” she added. “As we started to get older, I thought maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Then I saw a flyer from Wellpoint Care Network (at the time SaintA) about the great need for foster parents. My husband wasn’t confident about it, but we decided to at least attend an informational session to learn more. We heard about all the support, resources and training that is available and that really made a difference for us and was ultimately why we decided to get licensed.”

Now a family of five, Maddux says her children are her ‘Wellpoint Care Why.’

“We didn’t foster as part of a plan to adopt, but certainly when you accept a placement, you know that reunification isn’t always possible. So, we were open to being that safe space for them. We’ve been blessed in so many ways, but certainly blessed to have these three amazing little people in our lives.”

After officially adopting her third child, they felt like their family was perfect and complete. Maddux then decided to close her foster parent license and joined the Board of Directors. The Five Pillars of Stability are one of the things she appreciates most about Wellpoint Care’s work with the community.

“Having served on other boards and being aware of the issues within our community, and now having kids of my own, you develop a perspective on how things tie together,” she adds. “Providing support so that kids thrive at a very basic level, that is what makes them able to give back in their communities and to have healthy adult lives.”

Her message to others is simple ­— every action makes a difference.

“You never really know where a gift of time or talent or treasure will bear fruit. Even if you can only be involved in a small way, that is meaningful and impactful.”

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.