O'Donnell, a foster parent, said she admired Reno's work on behalf of children and orphans.
``It's a big problem in the state of Florida. There are over 3,000 children today available for adoption, free for adoption in the state, in foster custody, with nowhere to go,'' O'Donnell said.
``Chances are they will age out of the system, they will go right into welfare and into prison, so we need to do better for this generation of kids.''
The comedian owns a home on Miami Beach's Star Island, a gated community of mansions along Biscayne Bay. The event was held at the home of Adrienne Arsht, chairman of the board of TotalBank, in a neighborhood of waterfront mansions once home to Madonna and Sylvester Stallone.
The gathering was closed to reporters. Reno and O'Donnell made brief remarks outside the wooden gate set along a 15-foot hedge.
O'Donnell, an outspoken critic of the National Rifle Association, has become politically active in Democratic causes and once engaged in a memorable on-air, tense debate on gun control with Tom Selleck.
Analysts said the appearance with O'Donnell could pose problems for Reno when she attempts to court voters in north Florida and the Florida Panhandle, which is heavily composed of gun owners, sportsmen and military personnel.
``Any notion that there might be gun control is absolutely the kiss of death for any support in north Florida,'' said Susan MacManus, a political scientist at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
``Anything that connects Reno to gun control means Democrats lose big in north Florida.''
Reno supported the Brady Bill while serving as attorney general under President Clinton. The gun-control measure required background checks for gun buyers.
Campaign manager Mo Elleithee said Reno would support ``commonsense gun safety measures'' and would appeal to voters throughout the state.
``She believes in an individual's right to own firearms as long as these people demonstrate the they know how to operate them safely,'' Elleithee said.
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