Life
His medical work in the east end of London during the epidemic of cholera in 1866 first drew his attention to the great numbers of homeless and destitute children in the cities of England. Encouraged by the support of the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury and the first Earl Cairns, he gave up his early ambition of foreign missionary labour, and began what was to prove his life's work. The first of the "Dr Barnardo's Homes" was opened in 1870 at 18 Stepney Causeway, London. From that time the work steadily increased until, at the time of his death, in 1905, there were established 112 district "Homes," besides mission branches, throughout the United Kingdom.
The object for which these institutions were started was to search for and to receive waifs and strays, to feed, clothe, educate, and, where possible, to give an industrial training suitable to each child. The principle adopted was that of free and immediate admission; there were no restrictions of age or sex, religion or nationality; the physically robust and the incurably diseased were alike received, the one necessary qualification being destitution. The system under which the institution was carried on is broadly as follows:the infants and younger girls and boys are chiefly "boarded out" in rural districts; girls above fourteen years of age are sent to the industrial training homes, to be taught useful domestic occupations; boys above seventeen years of age are first tested in labour homes and then placed in employment at home, sent to sea or emigrated; boys of between thirteen and seventeen years of age are trained for the various trades for which they may be mentally or physically fitted. Besides the various branches necessary for the foregoing work, there were also, among others, the following institutions:a rescue home for girls in serious danger, a convalescent seaside home, and a hospital for the terribly sick.
In 1876 on the 9th July The Girls Village Home was officially opened with twelve cottages by the then Lord Cairns, In the same year a modern steam laundry was opened. Over the years the number of cottages grew to a total of 66 in 1906 housing some 1,300 girls which was spread over the three Village greens covering some 60 acres which was next to Mossford Lodge at Barkingside,Ilford, Essex that had been opened in 1873, by 1894 a Multi - denominational Children's Church was opened with a dedication service. The Girls Village Home had become a real "garden city"; where Dr. Thomas John Barnardo is buried in front of Cairns House and watchers stood imensly crying in deep pain to see this wonderful man go.
In 1901, through the generosity of Mr E. H. Watts, a naval school was opened in 1903 at North Elmham, near Norwich, to which boys were drafted from the branch homes to be trained for the navy and the mercantile marine. Watts Naval Training School closed 1949
In 1899 the various institutions and organizations were legally incorporated under the title of "The National Association for the reclamation of Destitute Waif Children", but the institution has always been familiarly known as "Dr Barnardo's Homes." Barnardo laid great stress on the religious teaching of the children under his care. Each child was brought up under the influence and teaching of the Protestant Faith. Children of Jewish and Roman Catholic parentage were handed over to the care of the Jewish Board of Guardians in London and to Roman Catholic institutions respectively.

Emigration system
Barnardo died of angina pectoris in London on 19 September 1905. His coffin was one of only two ever to be transported by Underground.[1]
A national memorial was instituted to form a fund of £250,000 to relieve the various institutions of all financial liability and to place the entire work on a permanent basis. William Baker, formerly the chairman of the council, was selected to succeed the founder of the homes as Honorary director. Barnardo was the author of many books dealing with the charitable work to which he devoted his life.