What is the legal process of taking a child from other parents as one's own called?

The legal process of taking a child from other parents as one's own is known as adoption. Adoption is a formal process where a person or couple becomes the legal parents of a child who is not their biological offspring. This process typically involves relinquishment of parental rights by the biological parents and a legal proceeding that establishes a new parent-child relationship. Once the adoption is finalized, the adoptive parents gain all the rights and responsibilities of a biological parent, and the child usually takes the adoptive family's last name, further solidifying the familial bond.

In contrast, fostering refers to providing temporary care for a child who has been removed from their biological family, often due to safety concerns. Guardianship is a legal arrangement where a person is appointed to care for a child, but the biological parents retain some rights. Custody refers to the legal right to make decisions about the child's upbringing, often used in divorce cases or situations involving unmarried parents. Hence, adoption is distinctly characterized by the permanent transfer of parental rights, setting it apart from other options.