Parenting brings smiles to new mom, daughter<!—->.

Tuesday, November 21, 2000

Parenting brings smiles to new mom, daughter

Most women over 60 worry about retirement.

Anna Daniels worries about getting Lanasha, her 14-year-old adopted daughter to school in the morning.

Ms. Daniels, who adopted Lanasha four years ago when Lanasha was 10, has just been awarded a Community Partner Award by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

She was one of six people chosen from 22 nominees to receive the award, which recognizes adoptive parents.

"I think my age had something to do with it," she said with a laugh.

The two traveled to Columbus to receive the award at the Ohio Statewide Adoption and Foster Care Conference. The conference is held in conjunction with November’s Adoption Awareness Month.

"I didn’t believe it when I got the award," Ms. Daniels said. "Lanasha didn’t believe it either. I was at a loss for words, and that’s unusual for me."

Ms. Daniels had been caring for foster children for seven years when Lanasha first came into her home. At that time, the 10-year-old girl had been a ward of the state for six years.

"She grew on me," she said. "I was close to her. We think a lot about the same things."

Ms. Daniels said that the decision to make Lanasha’s stay permanent was an easy one.

"She told me that she was tired of moving around, so I said that she could make this her home."

A student in Ironton Junior High School, Lanasha now has big dreams, especially when it comes to her school play, "It Happened in the Country."

"Mom doesn’t like it, but I want to be a singer," Lanasha said. "But I also want to be a lawyer."

"She can do it too," Ms. Daniels agreed.