Our vision, mission and guiding principles

About Barnardos

For over 120 years Barnardos has been at the forefront of child welfare service provision and has embraced a tradition of innovation and holistic approach in our quest to find real, permanent solutions for Australian children in desperate need.

Barnardos builds relationships between children, young people, their families and the community. We advocate for children and young people and contribute to community knowledge about the issues that impact on society as a whole.

By supporting the work of Barnardos you can create new dreams and outcomes to offer the adults of tomorrow a future free from neglect.

Barnardos' Vision

All children and young people will have caring families, in which they can grow safely and fulfil their potential. Families and young people will be valued and supported by quality services and engaged communities.

Barnardos' Mission

Barnardos builds relationships between children, young people, their families and the community. It advocates for children and young people and contributes to community knowledge about their issues.

Barnardos' Guiding Principles

Keep the child and young person central
We work for what we believe to be the child or young person's best interest, in case work management, advocacy and all agency decisions.
Strengthen families
We believe in the importance of a child's family having the maximum role possible consistent with child safety, and that children should be in permanent family structures. Intervention in the lives of families should be as unintrusive as possible.
Relate respectfully
We work in partnership. We encourage active participation of families, children and young people and communities. we respect the unique contribution of carers, volunteers, team members and others in Barnardos and in external welfare agencies.
Value our knowledge
We share knowledge and continue to develop expertise, drawing on our own and others' experience. Barnardos has extensive specialist knowledge in child and adolescent welfare, and we are committed to research and evaluation of what we do and how we do it.
Pursue social justice
We work to empower the disadvantaged and oppose social injustice. We are guided by the principles of fairness in distribution of resources and power. Equal, effective and comprehensive civil, legal and industrial rights are maintained.
Invest in the future
We use our resources and knowledge to improve the future of disadvantaged Australian children and young people. We are committed to strengthening the agency, our people and practices to undertake this task.
Be persistent for change
We work creatively to make a real difference. The final test of our success is whether individually or as an agency, we have made things better for children and young people. We believe in the potential capacity of all children and young people. Clients, particularly children and young people, need consistency and unconditional care. Once we start a task in case management, advocacy or within Barnardos, we complete it.