The "Mystery" of "Ward of the Court" Explained

Yar, CLAT PG aspirants, we all know that "ward of the court" is a crucial concept in child custody cases, but I still haven't found a textbook that explains it in a way that makes sense. It's like, if a court declares a minor a ward of the court, what does it even mean? I mean, is it like they're officially adopted by the court or something? Can someone pls give me a real-life example or clarification of this term? Maybe something like how Justice Ruma Pal handled the Arun Kumar Sharma case in 2004? Help a bro out!