In its application in a given case, the best interest of the child means what a judge says it means, but a number of best interest factors come into play, such as the child's age, gender, mental and physical health, the health of parents, the lifestyle and other social considerations of parents, the love and
emotional ties between parent and child, the parents» ability to provide food, shelter, clothing and medical care, the quality of schools of the child, the child's preference if the child is over 12, the ability and willingness of the parent to
foster a healthy relationship between child and other parent, and the
stability of the environment.
Children in the NSCAW study with multiple placements had more compromised outcomes across domains than children who experienced greater placement
stability.63 In another study of a large group of
foster children, the number of placements children experienced predicted behavioral problems 17 months after placement entry.64 Other studies have reported that placement instability is linked to child behavioral and
emotional problems, such as aggression, coping difficulties, poor home adjustment, and low self - concept.65 Relatedly, children's perceptions of the impermanency of their placements have also been linked to behavioral difficulties.66