The Home for Handicapped Children and Young People in Veternik is the social welfare institution. The Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina established it on December 20th, 1971 and it started working in February 1972 with 210 protégés.

The growth and development of the Home has been summarised in several pictures by the philosopher, Prof. Aleksandar Becin:

Having in mind the position I occupied for more than three decades in the system of social welfare in the Province (Vojvodina) and, among other things, the official contacts I had had with the Specialised Institute in Veternik from its establishment all until recently, there is no doubt that I could validly testify about the whole development of this institution.

For the period until 1992, with all the recognition (construction of buildings, establishment of services, involvement of a number of protégés in the work of several workshops, occasional organisation of successful cultural and sports manifestations and meetings with users of similar institutions etc.) it would be a sad picture depicting the conditions of everyday life of children.

Now, within the last 6-7 years a marvellous paradox has been happening: during the severest social crisis the unseen rise is recorded, as well as transformation and achievements in all conditions and aspects of work of the Institute and in the life of children in general. The Institute has grown into one of the most representative institutions of this kind in the country, according to the level of material and expert equipment, organisation and rich contents and the atmosphere in work and life. It is the matter of buildings and space in general, housing, clothing, food, hygiene and health protection, special nursing and rehabilitation, occupational and cultural-entertainment and recreational activities etc. They installed their own heating system of rooms that are now clean and neat. In the previously empty yard that was without any shade there is a nice park now, with a pool and a playground. In the part of economy there is a farm with animals where children work and rejoice themselves. There is also the bakery, which contributes to the level of nourishment that is above the average. The health care system has been completed, including the dental and special nursing with a sufficient quantity of medicines and systematic profilax.

One should also point out the unusually developed co-operation of the Home with many institutions, organisations, companies, and eminent figures in the country and abroad. Among them the donors have been discovered and cherished. They donate precious and significant gifts: equipment for medical protection and medicines, equipment, animals for the farm, furniture, clothes, pieces of art, financial resources etc.

Thanks to smartly designed activities the home breaks through the isolation successfully, which is so typical for institutions of this type, and manages to attract the attention and good will for its work, extending at the same time the opportunity to many to express their humanity in practice although they were not even aware of it before. Instead of mere sympathy, and maybe even the discomfort that the visitors of the Home felt during previous periods, everyone now feels affection and understanding for these children, realises the significance and beauty of this complex form of protection and a wish to help in some way, according to possibilities. Such a Home is a common cultural wealth of the City, Province and the Republic.

I express my deep belief that all the good and bad in one institution, although there is no doubt that it also depends on different objective circumstances, is the consequence of motivation and capacity of the staff, primarily the managers of such institutions. The listed achievements are the result of a hard, persistent, enthusiastic and exquisite work of the director of this Institution within the last 7 years.

Veternik, July 23rd, 1998.