What type of life insurance primarily serves to cover children until they reach adulthood?

The type of life insurance that is specifically designed to provide coverage for children until they reach adulthood is juvenile insurance. This type of policy typically covers children and is intended to offer a safety net for families in the unfortunate event of a child's untimely death. Juvenile insurance policies often have features that allow them to accumulate cash value over time and can potentially be converted into a larger policy when the child matures, ensuring that the child has coverage as they transition to adulthood.

Whole life insurance, while it can also cover children, is more generalized and commonly used for adults as well. It provides permanent coverage for the insured's lifetime and includes a cash value component, but it is not limited to children specifically. Term life insurance provides coverage for a specified period and does not accumulate cash value; it typically doesn’t cater specifically to children’s needs. Variable life insurance combines life insurance with investment options but is aimed at adults and carries investment risk, making it unsuitable for the purpose of covering children specifically. Thus, juvenile insurance is the clear choice for covering children until they become adults.