Welcome!

Picnic BuddiesFamilies with Children from China-Southern California (FCC-SoCal) is an all-volunteer organization that provides educational, cultural and peer support programs and services for adoptive parents, children and youth, and those in the process of adopting. Membership includes more than 500 families residing in Southern California and beyond.

FCC-SoCal remains dedicated to improving the welfare of the children in China’s social welfare institutions and supporting the community through charitable initiatives. Together, families cultivate friendships, explore culture and adoption, and build community bridges.

Click here for detailed contact information.

Dear Members...

Announcing New Leadership

As we take a pause in the middle of this glorious summer, the board of FCC SoCal would like to announce some changes in our leadership positions.

Maureen Hemler has completed her year term as Chair, and indicated a desire to step down from the position.  Therefore two other board members, Albert Olson and Judy Marasco, will step up to fill the position and Co-Chair our organization for the next year. Maureen will remain on the board. We are very grateful for all that she has done this past year to lead our organization, and are excited to work as a team with all of you to make FCC SoCal a meaningful part of your family’s life.

Judy and Josie MarascoJudy Marasco – Co-Chair is a single mom to 7-year-old Josie (from Qinzhou, Guangxi). Judy is a tenured faculty member teaching English as a Second Language at Santa Monica College. Pre-parenthood, she had lived in China off and on for six years and earned a Masters degree in East Asian Studies with a China focus from UCLA. She brings to this position first-hand China experience and a passion for forging links between our children and the land of their birth.

Albert OlsonAlbert Olson – Co-Chair  is the very proud parent, along with his wife Melainie, of 9-year-old Alaina, adopted in 2002 from Anqing, Anhui.  Albert has worked as a film music composer in the movie industry for many years, and is currently also serving as the Chair of the Mar Vista Community Council, part of the Neighborhood Council system of the City of Los Angeles.  Albert and Melainie have been active in the FCC since Alaina’s adoption in 2002.

We look forward to serving FCC in the coming year, and to continuing the programs and traditions that we all have come to expect from our organization.  But we are also committed to exploring how the FCC might evolve to best support our families and children in the future.  To do this we need the active participation of our membership, and would like to encourage more of you to find ways to contribute some of your time and talents to the FCC.  We will be sending out notice shortly of our next Board meeting, and ask those of you who might be interested in increasing your involvement, either as a prospective Board member or in a specific area of interest, to join us as we move forward in the coming year.

Judy Marasco
Albert Olson

Co-Chairs, Families with Children from China - Southern California

Continue to full post

Upcoming Events

Join Us For Our 2012 Planning Meeting Potluck!
All Regions
FCC-SoCal
Saturday, March 3, 2012 - 4:30pm - 6:30pm
Village Park Clubhouse - Santa Monica

Potluck imageThinking about getting more involved in the FCC-SoCal community? This is your opportunity! FCC-SoCal will hold a New Year potluck planning meeting on Saturday, March 3rd in West LA. FCC Members are encouraged to attend, voice questions or concerns, share your ideas for the coming year, and determine if there's a way to become involved in a large or small way to help make this a successful and vibrant year for FCC-SoCal.

When: Saturday, March 3rd from 4:30-6:30 in Santa Monica.

Bring a potluck dish to share. FCC-SoCal will supply drinks and some main course offerings.

Childcare? You bet! The kids will be looked after at Judy Marasco's home.

FCC-SoCal is an all-volunteer organization. The success and vitality of our community depends on great ideas and the enthusiastic participation of dedicated volunteers. So please join us on March 3rd to hang out with fellow FCC-SoCal friends in a relaxed setting to share ideas and formulate the plan to make 2012 a positive and fruitful year for our entire membership.

Click through for more details.

Find out more...
Add to calendar

Latest News & Info

Orange County's 15th Annual Moon Festival Banquet Delights All
Orange County
FCC-SoCal

Four friends at the Moon FestivalOrange County held our 15th Annual Moon Festival Banquet on September 18.  Keeping with tradition, the event was held at Ten Ten Seafood Restaurant in Artesia.

The evening started off with an icebreaker activity, the Moon Festival Legends Game. Each participant received a sheet about the legends and were tasked with finding images related to the legends, e.g. 10 suns, Chang-e, Hou-yi etc.  Each family was given an envelope of images to hand out and the kids had to run around the room collecting images from other banquet attendees.

As always, everyone enjoyed the delicious menu of egg drop soup, honey walnut shrimp, beef and snow peas, tofu and mushrooms, cashew chicken, house lo mein, yang chow rice, and of course, moon cakes.  Dinner was followed by a variety of entertaining and education performances: 

  • Martial Drum: Performer Arthur Chen and instructor Rachael Sysiong
  • Beijing Opera Master: Kevin Chai
  • Lion Dance Instruction: Jonathan Wong

All attendees had the opportunity to try out the instruments and costumes and learn some of the routines first hand.  The evening ended with prizes for the kids - all went home with an adorable stuffed xiong mao, hou zi, tu zi or other animal.

Many thanks to organizers Susan Tschabrun and Debbie Kistler, and the group of volunteers who helped make this banquet a success! Copy and photos for this post contributed by Patty Uy and Jenifer Weigand.

10/17/2011 - 5:45pm
Read more...
China Care Bruins "Buddy" Program 2011-2012
All Regions
FCC-SoCal

China Care Bruins 2010 group shotWe are delighted to announce that there are a few additional openings in the China Care Bruins Youth Mentorship "Buddy" Program for the 2011-2012 academic year (October 2011 through June 2012). Founded in 2005, China Care Bruins is a student-run group at UCLA that raises funds to provide medical services for children in China's orphanages and mentors Chinese adoptees and their siblings.

China Care Bruins offers a wonderful enrichment opportunity for FCC children and youth to be part of a nurturing and empowering community of adoptee peers and mentors. The leadership and members of China Care Bruins come from a variety of backgrounds (and have many different majors), but are predominantly Asian American students.

The Buddy Program participants meet in monthly Sunday afternoon get-togethers on the UCLA campus throughout the academic year, enjoying crafts, culture, skits, campus tours, field games and more. Through these ongoing interactive activities, the kids and mentors will build their relationship, solidify friendships and develop camaraderie. The kids also witness the fruits of the teamwork, leadership and dedication of the college students who give of their time and talents to produce the program and to be their mentors.

Click through to full post for more information, FAQs and application.

09/21/2011 - 11:02pm
Read more...
Chinese Cultural Dance Club at UCLA - 2011-2012
Greater Los Angeles
SoCal Friends

CCDC FlyerThe Chinese Cultural Dance Club at UCLA (CCDC) is expanding its Junior Dance Program and has a limited number of positions open for new dancers.  A flyer is attached, along with a PDF/Word document containing detailed information about the requirements for participation and the application/audition process.  Note that the program is open to children/youth (girls & boys) ages 8 to 17 (as of October 1). Interested youth who are age 13 and older may also apply and audition to participate in a dance with the college students. If you have any difficulty opening the attachments, please contact CCDC Junior Dance Parent Coordinator Jeri Floyd jerifloyd@ca.rr.com and she will do her best to provide the information in another format.

Applications are due September 23, 2011.

Several of our children have participated in the program for many years -- read more about the Club, see photos of rehearsals and learn about the history of the Junior Dance Program in the Spring 2011 CCDC Newsletter (page 7), which is available on the CCDC website.

Come see CCDC members perform at the upcoming FCC-SoCal Heritage Day event.

Click through for the full post and attachments.

09/19/2011 - 7:27am
Read more...
The Chinese Consul-General Welcomes FCC-SoCal Families
Greater Los Angeles
FCC-SoCal

The Consul-General receives FCC-SoCalThe FCC-SoCal chapter was honored to receive an invitation from the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China to Los Angeles to attend a luncheon reception to celebrate International Children’s Day. The invitation was sent out to our FCC membership, and over 40 families responded indicating they would like to attend. Due to space limitations the final group consisted of 30 FCC families, staff from the Consulate-General Office and their families, and various additional members of the Chinese-American community in Los Angeles.

The event was held on June 5 in the main meeting hall at the Consulate building, from 12:00 to 2:00 pm. The Consulate staff provided games, entertainment, and gifts for the children, and a highlight of the event was a special video presentation they put together highlighting photos of FCC families along with the families of the Consulate staff. Additionally, the Consul General, Qiu Shaofang, gave a short welcome speech to the group, and then spent the entire two hours getting to know many of the families in attendance. After the games and speeches a delicious Chinese luncheon was shared by all.

It was a delightful afternoon, and the Consul General stated that he would like to make it an annual event. We hope to see many of you at next year’s celebration.

A very special thank you to Albert Olson for organizing the event and contributing this post.

Check out photos from the event.

06/22/2011 - 9:16pm
Read more...
Somewhere Between
Greater Los Angeles
SoCal Friends

Somewhere BetweenFCC-SoCal member Linda Goldstein Knowlton's documentary film "Somewhere Between" will be screening in competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June.  (Congratulations Linda!)

Click through for full details -- please note Linda advises that this film is NOT RECOMMENDED for children under the age of 14 due to the emotional content.

Tickets go on sale on Monday, May 31st.  You're getting an early heads up. Buy Tickets Here

Screening dates:
Sat. Jun 18, 3:10pm, Regal Cinemas/LA LIVE
Tue. Jun 21, 7:30pm, Regal Cinemas/LA LIVE
Wed. Jun 22, 4:30pm, Regal Cinemas/LA LIVE

The Regal Cinemas/LA Live are downtown by the Nokia/Staples Center Complex.

Somewhere Between tells the intimate stories of four teenaged girls. They live in different parts of the US, in different kinds of families and are united by one thing: all four were adopted from China, because all four had birth parents who could not keep them, due to personal circumstances colliding with China's 'One Child Policy'. These strong young women allow us to grasp what it is like to come-of-age in today's America as trans-racial adoptees. At the same time, we see them as typical American teenagers doing what teenagers everywhere do…struggling to make sense of their lives.

05/28/2011 - 6:15pm
Read more...