Briefing Package for National Actors - European Care Strategy

The State of Unpaid Care in Europe

Care—from looking after young children to supporting older people—is essential to everyday life. Yet, across Europe, it has historically been treated as a private family responsibility rather than a public priority. Ageing populations, limited childcare options, and the heavy burden on women to provide unpaid care have put growing pressure on families, economies, and social systems. The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed these weaknesses, demonstrating how fragile care systems can be when services close and support is lacking.

Understanding the European Care Strategy

This brief explains the European Care Strategy, the European Union’s most comprehensive effort to date to improve care services. It sets out the EU’s vision for making care more available, affordable, and high quality. The strategy takes a life-cycle approach—from early childhood education to long-term support for older people and persons with disabilities—while aiming to improve working conditions for the care workforce and reduce the unequal share of unpaid care carried by women.

Practical Priorities for North Macedonia

The brief focuses specifically on what this strategy means in practice for North Macedonia. It translates EU-level policies into clear, actionable priorities for national institutions, including:

• Expanding childcare and early childhood education.
• Developing community-based long-term care for older individuals and persons with disabilities.
• Supporting informal carers and investing in professionalizing the care workforce.
• Linking care reforms directly to gender equality, economic growth, and the EU accession process.

By identifying these critical steps, the publication provides a clear, evidence-based roadmap for strengthening national care systems, ensuring they become more resilient, inclusive, and work better for everyone.