Which legal process allows a person to become the legal parent of a non-biological child?

The legal process that allows a person to become the legal parent of a non-biological child is adoption. This process involves a formal court procedure in which the adoptive parent receives the legal rights and responsibilities of a biological parent for the child. Adoption is a permanent solution, meaning that the adoptive relationship is intended to last forever, providing the child with a stable family environment.

In adoption, the biological parents' rights are typically terminated, freeing the child to be adopted by another person or couple. This contrasts with other legal processes like guardianship, which is often temporary, or custody, which refers to the physical and legal care of a child but does not change the child's legal relationship with their biological parents. Foster care, on the other hand, also pertains to temporary care and does not confer legal parenthood. Thus, adoption uniquely grants a new legal status that signifies a parent-child relationship, making it the correct choice in this context.