Our Chinese Daughters Foundation was founded in 1995 by Dr. Jane Liedtke as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to supporting families who have adopted children from China.

Mission: To provide the highest quality Chinese culture programs, orphan support programs, and publications to adoptive families, support organizations, and educational institutions serving the wider community.

Download the OCDF brochure (PDF): in English, in Spanish, in Dutch, in French, or in Norwegian.

OCDF's Key Initiatives

Since OCDF's first Chinese Culture Camp for kids and their families in 1996, OCDF has grown to offer many programs for children, families, students, and community leaders hoping to better understand China and Chinese culture.

OCDF has led tours in China for over 1,000 families from the U.S., U.K, Canada, and Australia. Additionally, OCDF coordinates internships for students and faculty from academic institutions, as well as helping mission groups and students interested in volunteering for Chinese orphanages and foster homes.

OCDF is currently developing several book series aimed at providing accurate and high-quality educational materials for those wishing to cover Chinese culture in their school curriculum, among other publishing initiatives.

OCDF's nonprofit status means that most of our revenue goes toward funding our various orphan support programs, as well as toward grants to local and regional adoption support groups. We take seriously our mission to improve the lives of both adopted children, as well as children still living in orphanages in China.

OCDF China Tours

OCDF China Tours annual programs include: China Express Tours, Panda Hugs, Orphanage Reunion, Teen Leadership, China Magic Tour, Chen's Traditional Chinese Culture Tour, Lily's Scenic Minority Regions Tour, LiBing's Tibet Trek Tour, Volunteer China (available for any tour), and our Teen Volunteer China trips. We also offer several pre-trip options in Beijing, as well as customized travel programs.

In 2009, OCDF China Tours partnered with Children's Hope International to offer homeland tours for adoptive families, including volunteer time at CHI orphanages. A portion of the proceeds from these tours goes to CHI orphanage programs. Revenues from our other tours go toward OCDF charitable projects. See the tours page for more information.

OCDF Publications

OCDF Publications include a full-color quarterly newsletter, the Chinese Culture Active Learning Series, the Explore-a-Province in China Series, as well as several books on adoption from China. Coming in 2009 will be our new Children's Book Series, following the life of a girl growing up in rural China, emphasizing Mandarin language development. We also offer Chinese Culture Arts & Crafts Kits, which provide families and schools an opportunity to facilitate the learning of Chinese culture with artisan-designed traditional Chinese arts and crafts kits. See the Publications page for more information, including descriptions of each book and ordering information.

OCDF Orphan Support

OCDF's charitable projects have expanded rapidly over the past several years. We sponsor two programs to assist adoptive families in giving directly to orphanages in China: Orphanage Care Packages (baby/toddler supplies, medical supplies, books, developmental toys, etc.) and the School Sponsor Project (school tuition, books, clothing, eye exams, music lessons, etc.). Additionally, we sponsor four other projects: Coal for Kids provides much-needed heating for non-government orphanages in Hebei Province; Building on Dreams supports a new orphanage for special needs children built outside the city of Xuanhua with the help of OCDF donors and volunteers; 900 Backpacks provides school supplies and toys to orphan children in Henan Province who have lost their parents to AIDS; and, our newest program, See the Stars, which supports Tibetan orphans in remote Western Sichuan Province. See the Orphan Support page for more information on each of these projects, including information about how you can help.

OCDF Institute & Chinese Culture Learning Center

Located in Bloomington, Illinois, OCDF Institute provides Chinese culture seminars, workshops, teacher in service programs for k-12 educators, adoptive family programs, and Chinese heritage/culture events (such as weekend programs). Programs for adults, teachers, home-schoolers, and children are available. A speakers bureau for China-adoption topics is also provided. OCDF Chinese Culture Learning Center includes a meeting space for adult programs, childrens activities, and the Betty Chandler Lending Library. OCDF Institute offers annual Chinese Culture Camps - these are one-day and multi-day events throughout the USA that include adult and children's programs. We can provide programs in your area! See the Institute page for more information.

Charity Gift Shop & Marketplace

OCDF Charity Gift Shop is located at 109 W. Monroe St. in historic downtown Bloomington, IL. We commission paintings, papercuts, jewelry, clothing, embroideries, quilts, dolls and other items from artisans in Beijing, Suzhou, Shanghai, and Weihai. OCDF also sells museum shop items on behalf of the Shanghai Museum and the Forbidden City Museum in Beijing. No child labor nor prison labor are used in the production of our items. Marketplace and Fundraising Items purchased in bulk quantities are available at a discount to non-profit organizations or are available on consignment for fundraising purposes. OCDF is available to be a vendor at your Chinese culture event! See the Marketplace page for more information, including a selection of items available for purchase online.

Adoption in China

OCDF Adoptions provides experienced adoption facilitation services through a consortium of 10+ adoption agencies. OCDF facilitates China adoptions including document processing and travel in China. We also offer complete adoption services for expat couples and families living in China. See the adoption page for more information.

Volunteer China Program

This program is for those wishing to volunteer in non-government foster homes and orphanages. This program provides adoptive families and youth or community service groups the chance to give back to children in need in China. We select positive environments for our volunteers. See the Volunteer China page for more information.

Academic Connections

China for students and faculty, academic programs, research connections, internships for undergraduate/graduate students and faculty with corporations and NGOs in Beijing. See the Academic Connections page for more information.

OCDF Grants

As part of our ongoing commitment to support adoptive families, OCDF provides a number of grants each year for local and regional support groups to provide workshops, seminars, and Chinese cultural programs for all adoptive families. Grant applications are due April 1st of each year. More information, including downloadable application forms, can be found on the OCDF Grants page.