Imagine you have a new baby sister. She is really cute and you love playing with her, but your parents are really tired and they need some help taking care of her. They decide to ask some other adults if they can help take care of your sister too.
In some families, when this happens, the baby might go live with another family permanently. This is called adoption. Adoption means that the baby will become part of a new family, and their old family won't be responsible for taking care of them anymore.
Different cultures have different ideas about adoption. For example, in some countries, it is very important to keep children with their biological families. They believe that being with your biological family is the best thing for a child.
In other cultures, adoption is seen as a way to give a child a better life. Some families might not be able to take care of their children properly, so they might choose to give them up for adoption.
In some cultures, there are rules about who can adopt a child. For example, in some countries, only married couples can adopt. In other places, single people or same-sex couples can also adopt.
So, cultural variations in adoption means that different cultures have different ideas about when and how adoption should happen. Some cultures think that adoption is the best thing for a child, while others believe that it is better for a child to stay with their biological family. Each culture has their own customs and beliefs that influence how adoption is viewed and practiced.