RENO -- Washoe County Social Services Have a Heart and One Church One Child have teamed up to host an important community event on foster parenting and adopting foster children.

County staff will be on-hand to answer your questions at North Valleys Community Park, Grand Room, 8085 Silver Lake Road, Reno on Saturday, March 31, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For those wishing to pursue foster care or adoption, staff will also be able to assist in the necessary paperwork to start the licensing process

Have a Heart and One Church One Child are working together to improve the lives of children in the Washoe County foster care system by raising awareness of the need for foster children to remain in their schools if placement in foster care is necessary.

On any given day, approximately 100 children are available for adoption and/or foster care under Washoe County's care.

Keeping these children in a familiar environment of school and friends provides a stable foundation when many have experienced instability in their short lives.

For more information on the event and how you can help foster children go to www.haveaheartnv.org or call 775-337-4470.