When eight-year-old Maya* first arrived at her new foster home in the Fox Valley, she carried everything she owned in a single garbage bag. What she didn’t carry—because she’d never really had it—was a sense of safety.
Her new foster mom, Jen*, remembers the moment clearly. “She walked in so quietly,” Jen said. “Like she was trying not to take up space.”
Maya is one of hundreds of children across Wisconsin who enter foster care each year, many of them from the Fox Valley. Foundations Health & Wholeness have been working to make sure kids like her don’t just find a bed—they find belonging.
A Mission Rooted in Healing
Foundations Health and Wholeness, a statewide nonprofit with foster care offices specialize in carefully matching children and teens with foster parents who can meet their emotional and developmental needs.
Their philosophy is simple: Every child deserves a loving space, a safe haven, a home.
But putting that belief into practice takes time, training, and a deep understanding of trauma. Foundations Health and Wholeness recruits, trains, and licenses foster parents, preparing them for the unique challenges of caring for children who have experienced instability or loss.
“We don’t just place kids,” said Nicole Klug, Regional Director of the Fox Valley. “We build relationships—with families, with youth, with counties. That’s how you create stability and a village for our youth and families.”
The Need in the Fox Valley
The Fox Valley has seen a growing need for foster homes, especially for teens, youth on the autism spectrum, and sibling groups. Foundations Health and Wholeness works closely with county agencies to accept referrals and place youth in licensed homes where they can begin to heal.
For kids like Maya, that healing often starts with small moments: a consistent bedtime routine, a warm meal, a quiet reassurance that someone will be there tomorrow.
A Family Finds Its Purpose
Jen became a foster parent because she felt a calling to meet the needs of youth in the community.
Foundations Health and Wholeness guided her through training, licensing, and the emotional realities of fostering. “They prepared us for the hard days,” Jen said. “But they also reminded us that the small victories matter.”
For Maya, those victories came slowly. The first time she laughed. The first time she asked for seconds at dinner. The first time she left her backpack on the floor—because she finally believed she wasn’t going anywhere.
A Community Effort
Foundations Health and Wholeness’ work extends beyond placements. Their mental-health counseling services and community outreach programs help support both foster youth and the families who care for them.
“It takes a creative village,” Klug said. “And we’re building that village across Wisconsin.”
A Future With Hope
Maya has been with Jen for nearly a year now. She’s learning to ride a bike. She’s made a best friend at school. She’s started calling their dog “her dog.”
And while her future is still unfolding—whether reunification, adoption, or another path—she no longer carries her life in a plastic bag.
She carries it in a home.
Getting Involved
For community members moved by stories like Maya’s, Foundations Health & Wholeness welcomes new foster parents year-round. The organization provides training, licensing support, and ongoing guidance to help families feel confident and supported every step of the way.
Those interested in learning more about fostering in the Fox Valley can connect with Foundations Health and Wholeness by visiting their website, at www.WeAreFoundations.org , or reaching out directly to Nicole Klug at (920)606-9192 or NKlug@WeAreFoundations.org. Even a simple conversation can be the first step toward changing a child’s life.
Because sometimes, all a child needs is a place to land — and someone willing to open the door.
Picture: starting at top left, Justine Buechel, Britney Raspor. Bottom left, Angie Fredrickson, Nicole Klug, Stephanie Marcks. Not pictured Sunday Caswell.
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