What is 'adopt as care dependent'?

I think it only comes up when the younger is around another adult that they'v had interaction with, coz its only came up to me with the grandparents and friends of the family but not with a newly met sim.
I got real worried when i first saw the option come up coz i thought it meant the child went being taken care of properly, but then realised it came up as an option with every child i had :)