Natrona County foster parents will be honored tonight at the annual Foster Parent Appreciation Banquet.

The event, put on by the Natrona County Child Protection Team, is a chance for foster parents to relax for one night, said Stacy Nelson, who's helping to organize the banquet.

"It is a difficult job and it is something they need to know that people appreciate," said Nelson, who works at Casper's Youth Crisis Center.

The banquet is a semi-formal dinner and dance that's free to local foster parents. Donations from the community help organizers put on the event. But just as importantly, the donations highlight how much the work of foster parents is valued.

"It shows them a lot of people are supportive," she said.

The banquet will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper.

"It's to show appreciation for everybody who helps out with kids who don't have a place to stay," she said.

Community support also encourages people to continue as foster parents, she added.

There are 55 foster parents in Natrona County, she said, but there is a shortage.

"It is really difficult to find foster parents in the community," she said.