Opening up the adoption process in Conn.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- Today is Connecticut Adoption Day, and the state says there are 20 kids waiting to be adopted right this second. It can be a long process, but if you ask three people News 8 met you'll find out it's worth it.

Twins Delon and Deshawn are officially becoming part of Raynetta's family. But being four years old, Deshawn is more interested in the snacks; fruits and vegetables and cupcakes.

Those cupcakes are here to celebrate Adoption Day, and for Adoption Day we got this rare chance to go into court to see an adoption happen. The only restriction is we can't give anyone's last name. The idea is to encourage more people to adopt kids, like more than 500 families did in Connecticut just last year.

"I just want to be with someone who wants to take care of me and wants to be a family with me."

Raynetta says News 8's previous 'Wednesday's Child' segments got to her at an early age. "I guess since the age of 5 when I watched WTNH news when they used to have the adoption children every day. I begged my mom to get a little boy off the TV."

This is all happening in Superior Court. Often adoptions are done in Probate Court, but there's a new law in effect that says cases like this that started in Superior Court with some sort of problem at home now get to finish in Superior Court. So the same judge that helped end a family that wasn't working now can help put together a family that does work.

"And now what this allows is for cases that began in Superior court through (Department of Children and Families) involvement and ultimately leading to the termination of parental rights," said Commissioner Joette Katz of the Department of Children and Families. "Those cases now can remain in superior court through this happy ending."

"I don't think it's going to change much because they were a part of my family the first day they came through the door," Raynetta said, "but I think it's just peace of mind now because they're going to be two happy little boys who have a change of life forever."

New Haven Superior Court Judge Carol Wolven presented Raynetta with her signed certificates, and it means that she and the two little boys who already call her "Mommy" are going to be a family forever.