IF YOU GO

What: Tristate Adoption Fair & Conference When: Saturday. The fair runs from 9:30 a.m. until 2:45 p.m., and a conference and workshops will take place from 10:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Where: NKU University Center More information available at www.tristateadoptionfair.com

"The rewards are almost immediate - they're just really, really appreciative to someone who's willing to open their house," said the man, who asked to remain anonymous to protect his son.

"It's neat to see him be able to trust somebody," he said.

The boy has come a long way from the streets he shared with six siblings and their drug-addicted mother, and the man said the children also suffered sexual abuse at the hand of a foster father.

"His story kind of trumpets the resilience of children," he said.

Several local agencies will join Saturday in the Tristate Adoption Fair and Conference, intended to inform prospective parents about ways they can help children who need a temporary or long-term home.

The event, which begins at 9:30 a.m. in the University Center at Northern Kentucky University, will help prospective parents find out which method best suits their needs and lifestyle, said Ron Bertsch, director of a foster care and adoption for the Diocesan Catholic Children's Home in Fort Mitchell.

Hundreds of children in the Greater Cincinnati area need homes, Bertsch said, and the majority of the children are between 4 and 14 years old and have experienced some abuse or neglect.

Many adoptive parents are younger couples who have difficulty conceiving a child, but parents whose children have grown up and moved out also make great adoptive or foster parents, Bertsch said.

"They have more experience and have weathered the storm of teenagers," Bertsch said.

The unmarried 39-year-old who opened his home to a young boy 19 months ago doesn't quite fit into either category, but he said his life has been enriched.

"The biggest reward is seeing the progress that my son has made - to hear him singing songs, like, 'You're such an awesome dad,' it just melts your heart," he said.