Family given priority in adoption?

We went through a little bit of a different situation with a prior failed adoption. We were the family members who found out about a baby who at that time was about 2 months old, supposedly our cousin. We were given instant visitation to the child because we were family, and it was said we would get to adopt the baby. (We had a homestudy complete and had been trying to adopt for a few months prior to finding out about this child.) Everything was a go for us it seemed, and we kept contact and court dates and everything till the baby was 6 months old. The judges in his case were taking into consideration the baby's attatchment to the foster family (at 6 months old) and wanted the transition to happen ASAP so he would be able to attatch. It wasn't until he was about 4 months old that the foster family decided they wanted to adopt him. Anyway, DNA results finally came back and he wasn't a relative afterall, so the courts said the foster family got to adopt him, not us. But, point of the story.......... when the baby was 2 months old and only with foster parents a short while, no issue he was going to family.......... at 6 months when he could form a bond it started to be a concern with the judge and workers. Parents had named us as adoptive parents when they thought our cousin was the baby's dad. When DNA came back different, the mom said she didn't care which family adopted him between the two of us. The courts ruled for the foster family due to the bond. I would assume that a year and a half time frame would concern the judge and GAL about the childs attatchment. I say tell your friend to stay as involved as she can and make sure they voice thier concerns and wants to adopt the child. Good luck, :-) Carrie