Laurier and Lisa Poirier were overcome with emotion after learning they were on a list of families whose adoption of children from Haiti would be fast-tracked. (CBC)

A Regina family that was in the middle of making arrangements to adopt twin boys from an orphanage in Haiti learned Thursday that their case would be included in a fast-track process.

Lisa and Laurier Poirier are adopting Jacques and Jackson, 19-month-old twins who have been living in an orphanage outside of Port au Prince. That orphanage survived the devastating earthquake that struck the country on Jan. 12. But now locals say they are hard-pressed to look after the children and are taking in more.

The federal government said it will allow families that had begun an adoption process to bring children to Canada right away, and complete the appropriate paperwork later.

"We were just overwhelmed," Lisa Poirier said about the news. "We just started crying because this is just ... so important for those boys to come home."

Poirier said she hopes other families, in similar circumstances, will also benefit from the fast-tracking process.

While the bureaucratic hurdles have been lowered, there remains the issue of how to get the boys to Saskatchewan.

Lisa Poirier said she is anxious to learn more details about a planned airlift, by Canada, of orphans in Haiti.

"It's getting them out of harm's way," she said, adding she is looking forward to having the boys safe and sound in Regina. "Just being able to hug them as tight as you can and having that come back at you. We can't wait."