Solanki lives in an apartment in downtown Hagerstown, but wants to buy a house. He said he is concerned that the houses he can afford are in neighborhoods in which he wouldn't feel comfortable raising his daughter.
In the apartment one recent evening, Benna sat on a couch coloring in a coloring book before asking if she could watch television in her bedroom. She later returned to use her father's computer.
Solanki patiently helped his daughter use the Macintosh to send an e-mail to her mother.
Even though he's a man, Solanki said his daughter comes to him for help with certain problems.
"I still take care of some girl stuff," he said.
Initially, Solanki said, he wanted to be the person who fixed anything that seemed to go wrong in his daughter's life, but has learned that sometimes, he simply has to listen and, maybe, offer advice.
"I allow her to resolve a lot of issues on her own," he said, which empowers her to tackle problems and make smart choices.
