In the year 2000, about one hundred twenty-seven thousand (127,000) children were adopted within the United States. Almost half of those children were adopted by a member of their birth family.

When a child is adopted by a relative, it is known as a kinship adoption, or relative adoption. This type of adoption occurs when the rights of biological parents have been terminated, and a family member who takes care of the child applies to become his or her adoptive parent. In the United States, relatives such as a grandparent, great-grandparent, step-parent, brother, sister, first cousin, nephew, niece, uncle, or aunt may be able to adopt a child.

More than 1.3 million American children are currently being raised by a relative. In fact, about forty percent of kinship adoptions occur when grandparents adopt their grandchildren. Family members become legal guardians and act as the child's parent through the process of kinship adoption. They take on the emotional and financial responsibilities that come with raising a child.

Adoption can be a challenging adjustment for any child, and the option of a kinship adoption can sometimes work well for both the child and their birth family. Though the child is placed permanently with another family member, kinship adoptions tend to be somewhat open. Open adoption means that there may be some form of contact between the birth mother, birth father, the adoptees and the adoptive parents.

Depending on what works for the child and their birth family, kinship adoption is not always the way to go. Though relatives may care deeply for the child and want to become their adoptive parents, some are simply not able to for various reasons. When it does occur, it can be a benefit to the child and their biological family, while others would love to care for their relative, but may not be financially or emotionally able.

These relatives have chosen to become adoptive parents in order to provide the child with the love and support that they deserve. They commit to the child as if he or she were their own by assuming the role of a parent.