Sarah and Jeremy Susco of East Lyme have twin siblings, so when they decided to adopt through the State of Connecticut, Sarah always joked that she wanted twins as well. The social workers said the chance of that happening was not very likely, but a few days before Christmas in 2013, they got the call that they were being placed with a set of twins.

“It was a Monday, Christmas was on Thursday, and we were getting them [from the foster family] on Friday,” she said. “So we had, like, two days to set up a twin nursery.”

After 20 months of classes, home studies, background checks, and paperwork, Audrey and Joey, who turned 2 in September, are now right at home with Sarah and Jeremy.

November is National Adoption Month, and the Suscos hope that sharing their story will raise more awareness for the kids in the state system that need homes.

Gary Kleeblatt, spokesperson for the Department of Children and Families, said about 800 children were placed in permanent homes through adoption or the transfer of guardianship in the last fiscal year. About 4,000 children are currently in the foster system, a 16 percent reduction from 2011, and 40 percent of foster kids are living with relatives, which helps them because they already know the people they are living with.

Sarah said it took her and her husband a few years to decide to adopt, and once they did, they did a lot of research to see what options were available. It was a friend of a friend who told them about adopting through the state as opposed to a private adoption.

“We talked to a lot of different people about different types of adoption,” she said. “When parents in private adoptions are waiting for their kid, these kids are waiting for their forever home.”

“And I think another common theme I heard from people that have done either foster-to-adopt or foster care was that you think you’re providing something for the kids, but they give more back to you than you ever hoped to get from it,” Jeremy added.

In order to foster or adopt children through the State of Connecticut, prospective parents have to be certified.

“We would go to class one night a week for I think maybe two to three hours to learn about all the kids that are available, learn about different parenting techniques, you go through a background check, a medical check, all sorts of stuff,” Sarah said. “That took about two months, and then they do a home study afterwards.”

The licensing class is the same for fostering and adopting in the state, so the family has also started fostering children, including a 5-month-old in respite care. Sarah said Audrey and Joey love having the baby around and wake up every morning excited to play with her.

“It’s amazing how fast you get attached,” Jeremy said. “When a foster kid leaves, it’s almost harder on the kids than on the grownups.”

While Jeremy works at Millstone in Waterford, Sarah stays home to serve as the twins’ “personal assistant.” They love climbing on things, pushing around cars and chairs, singing, dancing, and visiting with their cousins. The family is also in contact with Audrey and Joey’s parents and three older siblings, who were also adopted, so the children can still grow up knowing each other.

Both acknowledge that it was not the easiest process – their case was processed more quickly than others they had heard of – and some of the insurance paperwork has been difficult with name changes, but overall, it was an “awesome and enriching” experience for the family. Sarah said she and Jeremy met a lot of wonderful people throughout the process, especially the social workers.

“Our experience with just the state, the other foster families we’ve met, the support we’ve gotten has just been so amazing,” she said. “The people we’ve met and what they do for these kids is just unbelievable.”

For more information on the state’s fostering and adoption stories, call 1-888-KID-HERO, or visit the state website, ctfosteradopt.com.

a.hutchinson@theday.com

Twitter: @ahutch411