Originally published in 1930, the main focus of this book is the study of the man and the homes for children which he founded but against a backdrop of the unparalleled era of social reform, in which children were finally recognized as social assets of incalculable worth. Barnardo's work is therefore not treated as an isolated phenomenon. It is analysed for its profound significance as a pioneer movement in child-welfare and its legacy is visible as much in the 21st century as in the 19th. Where Wilberforce liberated enslaved people, and Shaftesbury the industrial worker, so Barnardo immeasurably helped thousands of homeless children.