Legal Memorandum: Determining the best interest of the child after finding a parent to be unfit

[W]henever a [child’s] best interests determination is required, the following factors shall be considered: the physical safety and welfare of the child, including food, shelter, health, and clothing; the development of the child’s identity; the child’s background and ties, including familial, cultural, and religious; the child’s sense of attachments, including where the child actually feels love, attachment, and a sense of being valued; the child’s sense of security; the child’s sense of familiarity; continuity of affection for the child; the least disruptive placement alternative for the child; the child’s wishes and long-term goals; the child’s community ties, including church, school, and friends; the child’s need for permanence which includes the child’s need for stability and continuity of relationships with parent figures and with siblings and other relatives; the uniqueness of every family and child; the risks attendant to entering and being in substitute care; and the preferences of the persons available to care for the child.

[statref]705 ILCS 405/1-3(4.05) (West 2016)[/statref].