Workshop VII

On 16th of December, we successfully held the 7th Workshop of the Danube Region Policy Collaboration Platform within the Caring Communities project.

The online workshop focused on system-level innovations from Serbia that support the development of sustainable caring communities. Municipal and social care professionals from across the Danube Region explored the work of the Serbian System Innovation Lab and reflected together on shared challenges in strengthening home care and community-based services—especially for informal carers.

One message was clear: informal care remains largely invisible, despite being one of the most vital pillars of our care systems. Without informal careers across the EU, the cost of care would rise dramatically—some estimates suggest it could even double.

As societies age and family structures change, care needs continue to grow—often placing increasing pressure on families and local communities. Without proper support, informal carers face burnout, income loss, declining health and isolation, which ultimately puts even more strain on formal care services.

We also highlighted local solutions that can make a real difference, including:
• recognition and visibility of informal careers
• respite and relief services (day care, home support, short breaks)
• access to information and training
• community connections and peer support
• closer cooperation with formal service providers

The Serbian experiences are highly relevant for Hungarian municipalities as well. Our challenges are similar—and so is the conclusion: community-based, collaborative and long-term sustainable solutions are essential.

As the Hungarian partner, TÖOSZ works to bring international knowledge into the everyday practice of local governments—turning shared learning into practical, locally usable service development.

Thank you to all speakers and participants for your active contributions!

Lead partner: Diakonie Baden
Local organiser: Mreža organizacija za decu Srbije (MODS)
Hungarian partner: National Association of Local Governments (TÖOSZ)

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