How Starfish Foster Home of China Began:

Hello! I am Amanda de Lange. This page will tell you a little bit about me, and also how our little foster home got started.

I had been living in Taiwan for almost seven years when I decided to look at teaching in another country in Asia. I found a position at an international school in Xian and within ten days moved. I chose this job because Xian is the home of the world famous Terracotta Warriors and is said to be the cradle of Chinese culture. A great place to improve my Mandarin.

Soon after I arrived I started to ask people about the orphanages. I wanted to volunteer but could not find any information. A week before Christmas one of my student's parents invited me to a

luncheon. There were quite a few people there and during a lull in the conversation I heard a woman say that for six years she had escorted foreign couples to pick up their babies at the government orphanage. Laura Shang was to change the course of my life. 

I visited the orphanage during the next few months, did some fundraising, and asked friends to bring things from the States when they came. I had a really great desire to help but I felt that my efforts did not make any significant difference. Laura noticed that I was very quiet on the way home and asked what was wrong.   "Why don't you start your own foster home?"  she innocently asked.   I had never even considered this.

As a foreigner I knew the bureaucracy was slow moving and would require a mound of paperwork and money.   Besides that,  I was on my way to a very lucrative job in Korea. Much to my surprise, Laura called back four days later to tell me that everything was approved. Suddenly my whole perspective changed. Here I had the opportunity to make a contribution. A moment of truth had arrived.   Could I do it?

I chose to give it my very best and on September 13, 2005 six babies were delivered to my apartment.  I cannot adequately describe the emotion I felt that day. Make no mistake it was a lot of hard work and I was like a zombie for the first while.  But now, 18 months later, three of them have been adopted and we are waiting for more families.

What we do: Since that day in September 2005, we have taken care of 23 children at the foster home in conjunction with the local government.  I like to focus on the smallest infants.  The youngest addition to the foster home has been 22 days and the oldest was seven months.   

I choose babies because are the most difficult to take care of, they require the most attention, and they are the most fragile. I have nine nannies for round the clock care. At the moment we care caring for 16 babies and I hope to add another apartment in June 2007.

Finding the best medical care is part of the responsibility that I have. Some really wonderful surgeons have done heart surgeries, cleft lip and palette repairs and spina bifida surgeries.  It is one of my favorite things to do:  Waiting for the children to come out of surgery and to see the difference.

Where to find us:

Starfish Foster Home
Maple Leaf New City, Area C, Block B-502
Ke Ji Road, Gao Xin
Xian 710075
CHINA

Telephone numbers:  86.29.88044168 (Cell)
86.29.88390648 (Home)

Email