About Us

Our core values

Children have been, and always are at the centre of everything that we do.

At Barnardos, we hope to end child abuse and neglect by supporting families to keep children and young people safe at home. We help children and young people who have experienced trauma, to recover and thrive and where there is a risk of abuse we find safe homes for them through foster care and open adoption.

We connect children, young people and families to the community to ensure they never feel isolated or alone. We give children, young people and families the tools to cope with life’s challenges and improve their wellbeing. We motivate children, young people and their families to embrace learning and education so they can reach their brightest future.

We amplify the voices of young people to influence Government on the issues that affect their lives. We celebrate diversity and encourage children, young people and families to embrace their culture, history and identity.

Barnardos believes

Our vision

Safe children. Supported families.
Hopeful futures.

Our purpose

We stand with children and families to create
lasting positive change.

Our Theory of Change describes how the work we do contributes to achieving our intended impact of improving the safety and wellbeing of children and families.

Download our theory of change

Our commitment

We never give up

We recognise the challenges that children face and put our shared wisdom and experience to work. We don’t give up because we know that we can empower children to achieve their full potential

We speak up

We listen, act and advocate on behalf of children, always showing compassion and inclusion

We aim higher

We learn, improve and innovate in everything we do to enrich the well-being of children and their families. We demand excellence to inspire excellence

We stand with you

When we unite around a child in need, we prove that they do not have to overcome their challenges alone. We champion collaboration and cultivate teamwork for the good of children, families and the community

We do what’s right

We build trust with people, partners and our community by being ethical, transparent and accountable. We take full responsibility and learn from our mistakes

Let's work together

Barnardos Statement of Commitment

Barnardos recognises that social justice is not possible in Australia without justice for our First Nations people.
We commit to the ongoing work of decolonisation to ensure that First Nations children can grow up strong in their families with the knowledge and understanding of their cultural rights. Barnardos promotes and celebrates First Nations peoples rich, unique and continuing culture and connection to country. We take responsibility for creating and maintaining a culturally safe and supportive environment for every person who accesses our services.

Barnardos acknowledges the suffering as a result of the Stolen Generations and the ongoing overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in statutory out-of-home care. As a non-Indigenous organisation in this space, we commit to working alongside First Nations families, communities and organisations in a respectful way to break to cycle of disadvantage and build capacity so that First Nations children can thrive.

Reconciliation Statement

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Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan

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Reconciliation Action Plan Guide

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Barnardos Stretch RAP Progress Report

Financial Year 2024 – 2025

DOWNLOAD RAP PROGRESS

Our Practice Framework

The Barnardos Practice Framework is an innovative approach to achieving the best outcomes possible for children, young people, and their families. It was developed through extensive consultation with our staff who have a deep understanding of what our children and their families need, and from this we developed the seven core principles of the Framework (below) that guide our entire organisation.

The Practice Framework informs what we do at all levels, including organisational culture, learning, advocacy, strategy, continuous improvement, and leadership. It clearly communicates our beliefs, actions, and impacts to children, families, internal and external stakeholders, and new employees.

By enhancing the visibility of our approach, the Practice Framework focuses our thoughts and actions, driving us to realise our vision of an Australia where all children have every opportunity to reach their brightest future.

Click on the Practice Framework icons below to learn more.

We listen to and advocate for the interests, wishes and views of children and young people.

We respect and work in partnership with families so that they achieve what is important to them.

Build strong relationships and connections

We want children, young people and families to feel that they are understood, have strong relationships and have people around them that care about them.

Approach culture with humility, respect and curiosity

We approach our work with children, young people and families in a way that is respectful and curious of
all cultures.

We partner with our clients, so they thrive.

Help clients heal from the effects of trauma

We recognise that
trauma can have significant lifelong impacts. Our
approach will contribute
to the healing of our
clients and communities.

We achieve the best outcomes for our clients by ensuring our programs and services are grounded in evidence and in a framework of continual practice improvement.

Our Strategy

Every decision we make begins with one question: What difference will this make for children and young people?

Our Strategic Directions 2026-27 focuses on a Children’s Rights approach as the foundation, ensuring children are at the centre of our decision-making, service design, advocacy and accountability.

The strategy is built around three Child Rights priorities: listening to children’s voices, protecting children from harm, and strengthening connection and recovery. Together, these provide a clear pathway to our vision: Safe children. Supported families. Hopeful futures.
Download our Strategic Directions

Barnardos child safe organisation statement

Barnardos prioritises the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people who access our services and interact with our employees, carers, students, and volunteers.

As a child-safe organisation, we recognise the importance of amplifying children’s voices and supporting their active participation in decisions that affect them.

Our commitment to creating, maintaining, and enhancing child-safe environments is reflected in our policies, procedures, and practices, where the safety and wellbeing of children are paramount.

We are devoted to recruiting the most suitable individuals to work with and volunteer with our organisation and ensure they are equipped to understand and meet their responsibilities in safeguarding children.

Barnardos has robust systems in place to safeguard children and young people from harm, fostering a culture of vigilance and care.

Our dedication to safeguarding ensures that all child safety concerns, allegations, and incidents are reported, recorded, and addressed in accordance with relevant policies, legislation, and regulatory requirements.

Read Barnardos child safe policy

We have a long history of helping children

Dr Thomas John Barnardo, the original founder, was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1845.
As a young man he moved to London to train as a doctor.

When he arrived, he was shocked to find children living in terrible conditions – one in five children died before their fifth birthday. When a cholera epidemic left many children orphaned, Dr Barnardo felt an urgent need to help. In 1870, Dr Barnardo opened his first home for boys.

To begin with, there was a limit to the number of boys who could stay there. But when an 11-year-old boy was found dead of malnutrition and exposure — just two days after being told the shelter was full – Dr Barnardo vowed never to turn another child away.

Dr Barnardo’s work was radical. The Victorians saw poverty as shameful, and the result of laziness or vice. But Dr Barnardo refused to discriminate between the ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor. He accepted all children, regardless of race, disability or circumstance. Dr Barnardo believed that every child deserved the best possible start in life, whatever their background.

This philosophy still guides us today.

The first group of Barnardos children immigrated from the UK to Australia in 1921. Barnardos Australia was incorporated in 1995 and still maintains its links to the Barnardos international family in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand. Today, we continue to support vulnerable children to recover and thrive.

We are here to empower every child to reach their full potential in life.

Our core values