About Us

HISTORY OF STARFISH FOSTER HOME

In September 2005, Amanda de Lange founded Starfish Children's Services to save children who have special health needs that are the most at-risk in its partner orphanages. This promptly resulted in the establishment of Starfish Foster Home (SCS) to rescue children in need of medical care by working in collaboration with local orphanges. After nursing them back to health through solid nutrition and a loving environment, Starfish Children's Services organizes and pays for the children’s surgeries before providing post-operative care. After the surgeries, the goal shifts to getting these children in the adoption pipeline so that they can join a stable, loving family.

2010 tax documents:

2010 990 Filing
2010 Schedule

MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES

The mission of Starfish is to save the lives of Chinese orphans with special health needs. Our vision is to provide a safe and loving home in Shaanxi province where orphans with special needs will receive nurturing care during their infancy and toddler years. Starfish will provide the best medical attention available in mainland China to meet the special needs of babies facing complex medical problems such as spina bifida, heart conditions, and cleft lips and palettes.

Striving toward this vision, we will focus on the following values:

1.    To expedite the movement of children out of orphanages and into the arms of loving adoptive families
2.    To serve as a resource center for other orphanges seeking medical care for their children
3.    To build a mutually supportive relationship with China's government officials
4.    To facilitate correct and rapid processing of required adoption dossiers

FOUNDER AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Amanda de Lange, Founder and Executive Director

Amanda de Lange is our board member who is on-site in Xian, China.   She is the one who runs the foster home, where we house the babies.  Amanda secures the babies from the Xian and Yulin Orphanages. She is in charge of the babies who come to Starfish. She makes sure that they get the best nutrition possible and arranges the surgeries that the babies need.  She manages a staff of about 30 people.  She also works with the Chinese government to prepare the adoption files and carries out the adoptions according to the wishes of the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA). She currently has 42 newborns, infants and toddlers in house.

Patrick McLaughlin, Board Chair

As a two-time volunteer at the foster home in Xi'an, Patrick has combined his "hands-on" experience at Starfish with his more than 24-year career in the media sales industry.  An avid golfer, runner, and adventure traveler, Patrick lives and works in New York City/Harlem with his wife, Cindy, and daugher, Norma Xi'an (a Starfish Alumnae).

Cynthia Klaja-McLaughlin, Board Member

Cynthia is owner/president of WATT AN IDEA!!!, Inc. a strategic marketing consultancy business.  She has volunteered at the Starfish Foster Home and finds the mission very fulfilling.

Margaret (Peggy) McCue, Treasurer

As board treasurer, Peggy summarizes preliminary financials for CPA and analyzes and reviews the business plan and budget projections.

Her academic background centers around undergraduate and postgraduate emphases respectively in business management and finance.   Peggy’s professional experience including Assistant Vice-President for a publicly-held financial institution and owning/managing three of her own businesses rounds out her qualification(s) for current Starfish assignment(s).

Anne Little, Board Secretary
Anne learned first-hand about Starfish in 2007 when she traveled to Xi'an on an adoption trip.  Since then, she has had a passion for work that improves the lives of orphaned children in China.  Anne lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with her husband, Rich and their 5 children, 2 of whom are adopted from China.