Ten foster children will become permanent members of Tri-City families today as their adoptions are finalized during a rare public event.

National Adoption Day will be celebrated with a 3 p.m. ceremony at the Benton County Justice Center, 7122 W. Okanogan Place, Kennewick.

The public is invited to attend. The main event starts in Superior Court's court-room B, followed by adoption proceedings in other courtrooms.

Some of the hearings will be closed to the public. In addition to speeches and activities, information about the adoption process and services will be available.

"We can't say enough about the adoptive parents who open their homes and hearts to children who need love, stability and family," said Judge Dean Lum of King County Superior Court, chairman of the Washington State National Adoption Day Steering Committee, in a news release.

The judge himself was an adopted child.

"Without these parents, many thousands of children would never have that special foundation to carry them through their lives," he added.

National Adoption Day was founded in 2000 by a coalition of national child welfare organizations hoping to raise awareness of the thousands of foster children available for adoption.

Benton-Franklin Superior Court has been celebrating National Adoption Day since 2006.